


Glowing Circles, Floating Loops

by watery_melon_baller



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Amnesia, Blanket Permission, Canon Divergence, Character Turned Into a Ghost, F/F, Flying, Gay, Ghost Amnesia, Ghost Luz, Ghosts, Hexside Academy of Magic and Demonics, Lumity, The Boiling Isles, ghost fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27807130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watery_melon_baller/pseuds/watery_melon_baller
Summary: Amity Blight's life is going well. Very well, in fact. She's skilled, popular, and on track for success. That is all thrown for a loop when a ghost somehow ends up in her bathroom, and no one else can hear or see her.Luz Noceda doesn't remember much. But now she's a ghost, or something like it, with no good leads, so she is going to make the most of her time in this crazy new magical world, and maybe find some friends along the way.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 34
Kudos: 141





	1. A Disruption

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Starting a new fic before I finished my last one? It's more likely than you think. Because I have no self control and am on a ghost kick, so here's my take on a Lumity ghost fic. I'm pretty sure ghosts are canon on the Boiling Isles based off a one off line in Understanding Willow, but for the purposes of this fic they are not because I want a ghost fic.
> 
> (And I know, I'm the monarch of generic summaries)

Amity Blight was _not_ having a good day. And it had everything to do with the ghost that had entered her life that morning. 

That morning. It had been a normal morning. Amity had been in her bathroom, getting ready. Her brown roots were starting to grow in, she noticed as she put her hair up in front of the mirror. Her mother wouldn’t be happy about that; she might have to dye it again soon. 

_Today is going to be a good day,_ she told herself. She had an abomination project to present. But she was prepared for that. She was an excellent student, good enough to be the top student in her track. She quite admired the badge she had earned for that. 

“Hello!” 

Amity jumped with a scream, banging her head on the sink. She rubbed the bruise and spun around. “Who said that? Why are you in my bathroom?”, she demanded. 

From behind the opulent shower, a girl emerged. A _floating_ girl. She tilted her head, a quizzical expression on her face. “Did I scare you? Sorry.” She held out her hand with a grin. “Hi, I’m Luz Noceda. Nice to meet you!”

Amity looked the girl, Luz apparently, up and down. She had brown skin and cropped brown hair. There was a kind of translucent shimmer to her whole form. 

Luz now stared at Amity, an awed grin now coming across her face. “Wait… are you a witch?”, she squealed. Amity could swear her eyes were somehow anime sparkling. 

Amity scowled. “Of course I’m a witch!” She paused, giving Luz another look over. “What are _you?”_ Amity’s eyes fell upon Luz’s ears. They were… rounded. “Wait… are you a _human?!”_

Luz nodded. “Yep!” She looked down at herself, sticking out a hand and turning it over. “Although…” She snapped her arm out towards the shower. It went straight through the clawed curtain. “Huh. Maybe, like, a ghost or something now too.”

Amity sighed exasperatedly. “Ok. That’s fine. But why are you in my bathroom?”

Luz brought her hand up to her chin. “Hm. Actually not sure about that one.” She went back to that excited, questioning look. “But, you’re a witch! Can you do magic?” Luz glided closer to Amity, looking at her expectantly. 

Amity scowled. “Fine, don’t tell me how you got here. Just leave!” She punctuated this by jerking her hand sharply towards the window. 

Luz sunk at this, her feet brushing the floor. “Oh… ok. But can you at least tell me where I am?” 

Amity pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, I don’t have time for this. I need to get to school.”

Luz immediately perked up. “Wait, school? You mean, like, magic school?” She had that eager, puppy dog look again. 

Amity threw her hands up. “Yes, magic school! What else would it be?”

Luz now bounced eagerly, dejection forgotten. “You have to let me come with you! Please?” 

Amity shook her head, sucking in a sharp breath. All these delays were piling up. She had a reputation to maintain, both for her family and herself. And that reputation did _not_ include being late. Finally, she sighed. “Fine. You can follow me to school, but after that, you _leave me alone_. Go off and do whatever things… ghost humans do.”

Luz nodded solemnly, clasping her hands together and giving a bow. “Your wish is my command…” she trailed off. “What’s your name?”

“Amity. Amity Blight.”

Luz held out her hand. Amity reluctantly moved to shake it, but her palm moved straight through Luz’s. _Oh, right,_ Amity thought. _Ghost. Ghost human. In my_ bathroom. She gave another sigh, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. 

“Nice to meet you, Amity”, said Luz-the-ghost. 

\---

Amity went to grab breakfast and her project quickly, eager to get out of the house. She did not want to run into her parents. Luz made it hard, though. She darted around like a hummingbird, marveling at every mundane object. And her questions were incessant. 

“What’s this?”, Luz gasped. Amity’s heart stopped for a moment as she Luz reached out for one of her mother’s nicest screaming vases, one that had been passed down for generations. Her parents would kill her! Her heart only resumed its beating once Luz’s insubstantial hands passed through the vase. _Ghost,_ Amity reminded herself. 

“Don’t touch anything”, Amity snapped. Luz nodded, backing down respectively. She moved to float at Amity’s side, looking up at the hallway. 

“Everything here is so weird!”, Luz exclaimed, sounding rather excited about the fact. 

Amity shrugged. “Not really. We’re a respectable family.” Her tone grew haughty towards the end of the sentence. 

They were finally at the door. Amity relievedly moved her project out and set off down the path to Hexside. Luz was just as fascinated by the outdoors. Amity ignored her questions for a bit, moving her abominations cauldron through the woods wordlessly, until a question of her own came to her. She slowed and looked to Luz. “How did you get here, anyway? You must have some idea.” 

Luz paused, seeming to think for a moment before answering. “I… can’t remember.” Distress crossed her face for a moment. Amity felt a tinge of pity. But not enough to quell her desire to be done with this whole ghost business. 

“That’s a shame”, Amity said, making sure to convey disinterest in her tone. She picked up her pace again. 

As they approached a clearing, the sound of someone speaking reached Amity. “You can do it! You can.” Amity shifted as she recognized Willow’s voice. Her classmate, and not a very good one at that. Her abominations were laughably bad. Amity saw an opportunity. 

Luz flew up straighter, evidently hearing Willow as well. “Who’s that?”, she asked. “Is it another witch?” 

“Hardly”, Amity sniffed. She straightened out her hair and moved into an ever so slightly more effortless pose before rolling into the clearing, where Willow paced, giving herself a little pep talk. _Titan knows she needs it,_ Amity thought with just a hint of smugness. Luz still followed, eyes widening at the sight of Willow. 

Amity looked down, putting on a patronizing smile. “Willow!”, she greeted. “Wow, you’re so unnoticeable I almost rolled into ya.” She chuckled. 

“Hi, Amity”, muttered Willow, evidently unhappy with Amity’s arrival. 

Amity was about to reply when Luz swooped it, startling her. “It _is_ another witch!”, she exclaimed. She hovered lower and gave Willow a wave. “Hello! I’m Luz. What’s your name?”

Willow didn’t even react to Luz, which Amity found quite odd. She knew Willow was shy, but Amity would not have pegged Willow as the type to flat out ignore someone like she was to Luz currently. 

Luz spoke again. “Um, hello?” Nothing. She waved her hand rapidly in front of Willow’s face. Still no reaction. Now Amity was confused. 

“Amity?”, Willow ventured, snapping the witch back to attention. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine”, Amity said quickly, before bringing herself back. She schooled her face back into its proper prideful expression, the one her parents always encouraged. For the moment, she shifted Luz out of her headspace. “Shouldn’t you get to class early to prep your…” She trailed off pointedly as Willow’s abominations cauldron began to shake, before tipping over and spilling what could only be described as sludge onto the ground. 

Amity was about to continue when Luz looked to her and said, “I don’t think she can see me.” The ghost human zipped around Willow a couple of times, paused, and then flew straight through Willow’s chest. Willow shivered, but otherwise didn’t seem to perceive any of Luz’s efforts. 

Luz flew back over to Amity. “Why can you see me if she can’t?”

“I don’t know!”, Amity snapped at Luz impatiently. 

“Uh, Amity?” Willow said. “Who are you talking to?” 

Amity fought back the flush that threatened to rise to her cheeks. If Willow really couldn’t see Luz, it would seem like she was talking to herself and looking out at nothing. Everyone would think she was crazy!

“Oh nothing, Willow”, Amity said, struggling to maintain her composure. She had hoped to toy with Willow a little further, but now she just wanted to get away before Luz could embarrass her further. “See you in class!” She turned and rolled away as quickly as she could without it seeming embarrassed. Which she was not. 

She pointedly ignored Luz the rest of the way, refusing to acknowledge her. Finally, right before they reached Hexside, Amity turned to Luz, being sure to stay vigilant to anyone who might pass and see her talking to thin air. “This is where you leave. The school’s right down the path, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it. Don’t bother me anymore.” 

Amity left Luz floating there. 

\---

Luz watched as Amity turned her back in that uppity way she had about her and continued down the path. She gave the witch some space; she seemed pretty angry. Once Amity had rounded the bend, Luz drifted forward. 

This was all wild. Luz couldn’t remember anything about how she’d gotten here, but this place was certainly vastly different from where she’d come. A lot of… teeth. And eyes. 

Still, she had absolutely no leads. And this place (whatever it was) was at the very least interesting. And there was a _school._ A magic school! Luz couldn’t pass up the opportunity to at least check it out. 

Being a ghost, or at least something of that sort, was also very strange. The floaty movement came oddly naturally to Luz. She could speed up, slow down, twist and dip and circle as easily as breathing. Something she noticed she wasn’t doing. 

Luz emerged into a large open space, eyes widening as she took in an enormous building, with grand towers and polished brick. People, or creatures maybe, milled throughout the common. They were strange too. Some had three eyes, or mouths too big for their faces, or blue skin, or odd proportions, while others simply had pointed ears like Amity or Willow. Luz wondered if there were even any humans here; Amity’s surprise at her human-ness had indicated a rarity. A banner on the front of the building read “Hexside School of Magic and Demonics”. 

She also finally got her first good look at the wider area. Even enclosed in the woods, there had been something odd, something just ever so slightly off about the trees and the soil, but now Luz could see massive spikes of white, bonelike rock curving up like ribs in the distance. 

This was definitely not her world. 

A glow caught Luz’s eye, and she darted over to a group she assumed were students. _Magic students!,_ she squealed internally. One of them, whose uniform was a pale blue underneath (unlike Amity’s and Willow’s) was tracing a glowing circle through the air. They closed their eyes, and in the center of the group a snakelike dragon appeared. It twisted a loop in the air before disappearing as suddenly as it had come. 

“Nice illusion”, one of the other students congratulated. Luz nodded as well, impressed. 

She decided to try introducing herself. The other witch she had encountered with Amity, Willow, hadn’t seemed to see her, but surely at least someone else would? 

Luz moved to float in the center of the group. It felt odd to try and stand on the ground, and her feet just went straight through anyway, so she didn’t bother. 

“Hello!”, she said, looking between each student, hoping for one of them to actually see her instead of looking straight through. But there was nothing in their gazes, no indication that they saw or heard her. 

Luz flew over to another group, another, a single student, but her efforts were wholly fruitless. Still, it was fascinating to see all the different types of magic performed. One girl in a green uniform held a small pot. She drew a circle, and up burst a delicate closed flowerbud. Luz moved in a little to look at it, but jumped back in the air abruptly as it opened to reveal a carnivorous maw. A grey-skinned student in an orange uniform held what looked like a small covered birdcage. Luz watched curiously as they lifted the cloth to reveal what looked like a slug... spider? Whatever it was, it was cool. 

After a while, a bell rang (well, more screamed), and students began to move into the school. Luz flew with them. She was eager to see what other incredible things could be learned in this school. She spotted a familiar head in the crowd; it was Willow, that same witch from earlier. She had seemed nice (certainly less jerkish than Amity). Luz decided to follow behind her. Above her. Whatever. 

Willow looked pretty upset. She moved through the hall meekly, pushing along her big cauldron, the same one that had spilled earlier. Luz wished she could comfort Willow, but she remained unseen. 

Willow grabbed a couple of books out of a locker which opened the mouth on its front to deposit them, and then turned into a classroom. The ornate stone doorframe read “Abominations 101”. 

The whole classroom, like the rest of the school, had a sense of grandness and legacy. Perfectly fitting for a magic school, of course. Only a couple of other students were there. Willow went and sat at a desk near the back. She moved over towards her cauldron, removing the lid and staring into it dejectedly. Luz floated above it to look down. She wasn’t sure what exactly it was supposed to be, but from Willow’s reaction, she guessed it wasn’t supposed to be slightly dirty sludge. 

“Abomination, rise?”, Willow said quietly. A soft groan issued from the cauldron and the sludge bubbled up a bit, an eyeball floating to the top. Willow sighed at this result. 

Luz was jerked from her observance by a gasp, and the thud of something dropping. She spun to see Amity at the door to the classroom, mouth forming a small O. She was staring straight at Luz. 

Whoops. 

Amity glanced around furtively, before glaring upwards and mouthing “What are you doing here?!” 

Luz bit her lip. “Sorry?”, she offered. 

Amity pointed out the door furiously. She moved into the classroom, parked her cauldron cart by a desk, and turned back towards the door. “Outside”, she mouthed. 

Luz followed Amity out the door and into a closet. Once they were inside, Amity turned on Luz. “What were you doing in there?!”, she burst in a furious whisper. 

“I didn’t know that was your class”, responded Luz. 

Amity pinched the bridge of her nose. “Well, now you do. So stay out! I’ve worked hard enough to get where I am, and I don’t want that all taken away because I’m talking to thin air and seeing things.” 

Luz nodded. “Ok.” 

“Stay. Out.” Amity imparted this one last time before opening the closet door, glancing left and right before dashing out and closing the door with a slam. 

Well, then. Luz couldn’t follow Willow anymore. Still, there was plenty else to do. She moved to open the door, but her hand clipped through the doorknob. _Right, ghost,_ she thought. The intangibility part, it seemed, did not come as naturally to her as the flying part. Sizing up the door, she closed her eyes and flew forward. 

Her mind expected to hit the door, but when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t even in the hall. She’d flown straight through the door and the next wall, into another classroom. This didn’t look like an Abominations classroom. It looked more like a chemistry classroom, actually. Lined neatly along the inner counter were rows of small cauldrons, beakers, and other various implements. At the desks students with yellow uniforms sorted through various ingredients, ranging from dried leaves to a sloshy brown liquid to eyeballs.

The class was in the middle of a lesson, the beak-nosed teacher up front addressing them. “Remember, it is crucial to correctly measure out your ingredients _before_ you begin mixing”, she said. “Now get to work.” Luz watched as the students followed their teacher’s instruction. It did start to get dull though, not being able to touch any of it, talk to anyone, see results. 

Luz found herself drifting, until a student who had dark skin and eyes… much lower than they should be called the teacher over. Luz went to look, eager to see the result of whatever the class had been concocting. 

The teacher gave the mixture an appraising look before picking a rounded glass vial off the desk and drawing some of the now orange-yellow liquid into the container. She called the rest of the class over to look, tutting as she waved her hands for them to leave some space. She drew her hand back and threw the vial against the desk, where it shattered and released a… rather underwhelming puff of grey smoke. 

“Now class”, the teacher said. “Ellis has produced an excellent example of a fog potion. Please note the color the mixture has attained.” The gathered students nodded, taking out notebooks and writing down the teacher’s notes. The teacher drew another one of those glowing circles in the air- there seemed to be a thing with glowing circles and magic- and the vial reassembled itself. 

Luz left the classroom, phasing through the wall. The hallway was empty and silent in the middle of classes like this, only faint words drifting through the wall. _There have to be some more interesting classes,_ Luz told herself. _Something dynamic. Adventurous!_

The next classroom she entered was neither of those things. This classroom, populated with students garbed in dark blue, was for healing. Luz left that one quickly. 

The classroom she floated into after that was much more intriguing. These students, with dark purple uniforms, all had crystal balls on the desks in front of them, like something a fortune teller would have. 

“Today, we are going to look at one of the most fundamental aspects of oracle magic: foresight”, the teacher said. _Oracle magic,_ Luz thought. _That seems interesting._ She got into a cross-legged position and settled in the air to listen. 

“Foresight chiefly requires two things: focus, and intent”, continued the teacher. “We are going to be using an artifact, the crystal ball, to help channel this. What you see is yours to interpret. We’ll be trying out a simple, short form projection. You’ll be graded on both participation and accuracy, so get on it.” 

_Seeing the future!,_ Luz thought. _I want to learn this._ She drifted to float by one of the students. He drew a glowing circle, then moved his hands around the crystal ball in front of him, eyes closed in concentration. Luz focused likewise intensely, trying to pick up what she could. 

A muddy image wavered into view on the crystal ball. Luz couldn’t quite make it out. Just two vague shapes… fighting perhaps? The student, at least, seemed to understand it, rapidly taking notes as they glanced between the ball and paper. Within moments, the image was gone. 

\---

The ghost human was here. _Again._ Amity wanted to scream. 

She was in the lunchroom, sitting at her table with Boscha and Skara and various other witches their group had deemed worthy this week. She hadn’t bothered learning their names. But there was that ghost, floating in a very distracting manner by some other losers. It was Willow and her weird friend, Amity realized. 

Well then, Amity would just have to ignore her. She did that plenty; it shouldn’t be that hard. 

Turns out, it was that hard. Amity couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting to the place where Luz floated. To her credit, Luz seemed to be making an effort not to disturb Amity, staying away and not looking in her direction. But still. She really was like a hummingbird, darting and dashing from one spot to another, at times just a blur of motion made blurrier by her inherent shimmer. 

“Amity?”, Boscha asked. She had stopped laughing at something one of the witches at the table had said to look at Amity appraisingly. Judgingly. 

Amity snapped her eyes away from Luz, trying to reestablish herself in that apathetically snide she tried to, had to, maintain. She gave a chuckle and tried to make it seem if she had been paying attention to the conversation. “Very true.” This seemed to satisfy Boscha and the rest of the group, and conversation resumed. 

But _still_ Amity could not stop glancing at Luz. And again, the group noticed. 

“Ok, you have to tell us what you are looking at”, Boscha said, craning her neck to look where Amity stared. All three of Boscha’s eyes widened and she rubbed her hands together, sparking a glimmer of hope in Amity. Could she see Luz too? But that glimmer was swiftly smothered when Boscha said, “Ooh, is it half-a-witch Willow? How’d she embarrass herself this time?” There was an almost predatory gleam in Boscha’s eyes as she said this. 

Amity scrambled for a lie. “Oh, nothing beyond the usual. She completely bombed her Abominations project.” Amity sniffed, letting on a hint of a smug grin. “Obviously.” 

A round of laughter circled the table. “How about we go and pay her a congratulations?”, Skara offered snidely. 

Amity stiffened, her mind rapidly searching for a way to backpedal. She couldn’t go over there, not with Luz floating so close! “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”, she tried to say, but the group had already latched onto the idea, getting off the benches and eagerly amassing to go mock this ripe target. 

Amity couldn’t not go, so she reluctantly rose and made her way to the head of the procession. Willow and her friend looked up from whatever quiet conversation they were having as they ate. Boscha leaned against the table, looking down on them. 

“Hi, Willow!”, Boscha said with a patronizing wave. “We just wanted to _congratulate_ you on how well you did on your project this morning."

“Yeah, thanks”, replied Willow, an edge creeping into her soft voice. 

Boscha made a show of thinking before smiling as if an idea had just come to her. “You know, I just had the best idea!”, she said. “How about you show everyone your project?” 

Amity had stayed silent on this exchange, trying to seem imposing and ignore Luz. But now the ghost spoke. 

“Hey, why are you bullying her?”, Luz asked indignantly, addressing Amity directly. “Stop them! Leave her alone!” 

Amity just took a deep breath and maintained her expression. Luz moved closer, glaring. 

“I don’t really…”, Willow said quietly. 

“Come on!”, Skara said. “We all want to see it!” There were resounding nods from the group. Amity nodded too. 

Luz got angrier. “Leave her alone!”, she said again. She flew closer, and Amity flinched as Luz’s entire form went through her. The witches behind her shivered as well as Luz passed through them harmlessly. 

Luz tried this a few times, then changed tactics. She floated right in Amity’s face. “Why are you being so mean?”, she cried. 

“Go away!”, Amity shouted, not bothering to curb the manic edge to the words. Every head in the lunchroom turned, most certainly not in a good way. 

Amity’s cheeks grew hot. “I mean… uh”, she stammered. 

“Are you good, Amity?”, Boscha asked, eyes narrowed with disapproval. 

“No, she’s not!”, Luz singsonged as she circled Boscha’s head. 

Amity shook her head, trying to block out Luz’s (very _annoying_ ) presence. “I’m fine!”, she bursted. “Just looking for a little _quiet._ ” She looked very pointedly at Luz.

Boscha followed Amity's gaze. Amity was sure she saw nothing. Of course she saw nothing. It crossed Amity’s mind to wonder for the first time if Luz even existed. Maybe she was just crazy. 

“Okay”, Boscha said, eying her strangely. “Why don’t you go take a drink?”

Amity nodded numbly. On autopilot, she turned her feet to walk out of the lunchroom. She did her best to mask her embarrassment, but even she could tell it wasn’t working. 

She found a water fountain in the hall, kicking it so it spit water. She splashed some of the water on her face, which felt hot and red as a tomato. 

“Hey…”, came a soft voice, trailing off. Amity recognized Luz and sighed. 

“Do you realize how much you embarrassed me in there?”, Amity said despondently. 

“Sorry”, Luz said. “But what you and your friends were doing in there was not cool. Why were you being so awful to Willow?” 

“I- It’s-”. Amity groaned, frustrated. “I worked to get to the top, and now I have to work to stay there. It’s better for both of us this way.” 

“Do you really think that?”, Luz asked. 

“I… Of course…”, Amity trailed off, uncertainty surging. 

“Think about it”, Luz said. She floated away, leaving a conflicted Amity standing alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed, because I figure it'll be a long while before I write more of anything now that break is over and my free time is gone.


	2. Flight and Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz explores. Amity thinks some things over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, getting this next chapter out quickly! (The secret ingredient is procrastinating on your actual responsibilities). Still, hope you enjoy it, and I swear I haven't abandoned my Among Us fanfiction, I just need to take some time to figure out what direction to take. In other news, time management is very much a thing I need to work on.

Luz had to get some space from Amity after that. Yes, she was the only person who could see her, but how Amity had let her friends treat Willow (and, really, treated Willow herself) was cruel, and she just needed some time. Explanations and deep emotional conversation could happen later. 

There was still a ton Luz hadn’t explored, both of the school and this place she had landed in as a whole. Now would be an excellent time to check it out. 

Luz halted where she floated in the hallway, an idea coming to her. She hadn’t  _ really  _ tried out flying. Thus far, she’d stayed close to the ground, or slightly above peoples’ heads.  _ How high could I really go?,  _ she wondered. 

In a split-second decision, she sped up and went through the floors above her, students and bricks flashing by. She burst through the roof, purple-tinted sky stretching above. The sun (she assumed it was the sun, anyway) was just beginning to descend from the peak of its arc. Luz pushed higher. She couldn’t really feel any cold or wind rushing past her skin as she would expect. It was a little strange. Still, the sensation of flying was enough on its own. 

She didn’t really have a goal in mind; she was simply flying up, relishing the sensation. By the time she turned to look down, Hexside was just a dot. 

Stretched out below her was a vast island, or really several islands, in structure resembling the corpse of some huge being. There was a horned skull at one tip, and ridges like legs at the other. In the middle, where the torso would have been, many more sharp, curved structures just like the two she’d seen earlier at Hexside surrounded a group of larger islands. Their formation suggested a ribcage. Most of the main islands were covered with woods or flat orange plains, but there were several spots that seemed to have clusters of structures. 

Surrounding the islands was a sea that seemed to roil and churn as if it were boiling. Out in the distance, Luz could just barely make out what seemed to be other islands, similar in structure but at the same time distinct from the one she had arrived on. 

All in all, it was pretty breathtaking. Luz bobbed for a moment, taking it all in. She was startled out of this by a whooping. She whipped around to see an older-looking woman with unruly grey hair and a creature that looked like a Cubone flying straight past her. They rode on a wooden staff helmed by a little owl which flapped its wings as if in flight, to the back of which a hobo-style bag was tied. 

The Cubone clung tightly to the staff. It was kind of adorable, actually. “Why do we have to be so high?”, he whined. 

The lady, sitting sideways, released her grip on the staff’s shaft to throw her hands out. “What’s life without a little danger?” 

_ Another witch!  _ Luz thought. She took off after them, keeping pace beside their staff. 

“Let’s just get home”, the Cubone said. 

Luz felt no exhaustion as she raced alongside the pair, following as they flew over the island.  _ Islands _ , she supposed.  _ Isles? _ They eventually descended lower in the sky, moving away from both Hexside and the larger clusters of structures. It suddenly occurred to Luz that she might not be able to find her way back to Hexside. She shrugged it off. She was sure she could identify it if she just flew up high again. She hoped. 

The lady halted the staff in a clearing at the edge of the island, descending lightly. The moment she touched the ground, the Cubone leapt off the staff with a shudder. “Never go that high again”, he declared. 

“You love it, King”, the lady smirked, giving the Cubone (King?) an affectionate pat. 

At the edge of the clearing was a fairly large house. Or, Luz assumed it was a house. It seemed rather unconventional, but so did everything else she had seen in this world. It was made up of white brick, with a curved roof that framed a massive stained glass window resembling an eye. Behind was an older looking tower, significantly taller than the main structure. 

The lady grabbed the bag off the staff and slung it over her shoulder before she walked up to the door to the house. Luz followed, intrigued, but jumped back five feet in the air when the strange and slightly disturbing owl figurehead carved in the center of the door spoke. “What’s the password, hoot hoot?”, it crowed. 

“We don’t have time for this, Hooty”, the lady replied, giving it a bonk on the nose. 

“Ow, you don’t have to be so mean about it”, the figurehead (Hooty?) waxed dramatically. Still, the door opened obligingly, and the lady and King entered the house. After a moment’s deliberation, Luz decided to follow. After all, what better distraction than a cool old witch lady? Besides, it’s not like it’s really trespassing if no one can perceive you whatsoever and you can’t affect the physical world. 

Inside, the style was… eclectic. Lighting came chiefly from wax candles, like something out of the occult. The wall decor varied wildly, from pictures to a foam finger to what looked like a severed arm. The furniture was likewise a hodgepodge. But somehow, it also felt homey. 

What struck Luz the most, however, was the massive "Wanted" poster on the wall behind the couch. It showed Aztec-style depictions of what seemed to be the lady and King, giving the lady in exaggeratedly gaping mouth and fire. In red lettering underneath the picture were the words “Owl Lady”, and a monetary reward which was a number with many zeroes following it.  _ Is that what she’s called?  _ Luz wondered, shooting a glance back at the lady, who was currently rummaging through the bag she’d taken from her staff. 

“Let’s see what we got from today’s haul”, she muttered. She took out a… Luz spun where she floated. It was, unmistakably, a pair of earbuds. This world didn’t have earbuds. Luz instantly dashed closer to get a better look. 

The Owl Lady promptly threw the earbuds into a pile of junk. Luz’s eyes widened and she darted to where they had fallen. This was her best lead! Something unmistakably from her world, even if she couldn’t remember her place in it. How could the Owl Lady have gotten it? Maybe if she could somehow find a way back to her world, she could jog her memory and get some answers. She swiped her hands through the earbuds, of course unable to pick them up. 

Luz glanced back to the Owl Lady, promptly ducking with an “Eep!” as another object flew through her chest. She looked to see a lavish diamond necklace, studded and sparkling. 

The Owl Lady let out a satisfied “Aha!” Luz drifted to see what had elicited the reaction. The Owl Lady held up… a slightly cracked plastic toy frog. “Finally”, the Owl Lady said. “Something with value. I was worried today would be a complete bust.” Luz struggled to see how a slightly cracked plastic frog could be seen as more valuable than a  _ literal diamond necklace,  _ but shrugged it off. This world was the home to many oddities. 

Luz’s mind turned back to how the Owl Lady had gotten all this stuff. She had to figure it out. If there really was some sort of passage back to her world… 

Luz realized she would have to go back to Amity. She had hoped to put it off a little longer, but this lead was too good to pass up.  _ I’m charismatic and charming,  _ she thought.  _ I’m sure I can convince Amity to help me.  _ She could get Amity to ask the Owl Lady where she’d gotten all this stuff. Not spending any longer deliberating, Luz phased through the wall and began flying back to Hexside. 

\---

Amity had drifted through the rest of the school day numbly. She’d kept up appearances, of course-- she had to-- but it had been halfhearted, and she got the feeling teachers and students alike noticed. Still, she knew couldn’t let one stupid incident caused by one even stupider ghost lord over her life. She did her best to keep up her standard of work. 

She was more relieved than usual when the final bell rang. She usually relished the time away from home school gave her, but the stares and whispers were worse. She continued to mask her shame with a facade of haughtiness, waving goodbye to Boscha, Skara, and the group with the proper laughs and jabs. She only dropped it when she had left school grounds and was sure she was alone on her path home through the woods. 

Amitysat heavily on a log, dropped her bag, and thrust her head into her hands.  _ Titan, could today have gone  _ any  _ worse?  _ She thought.  _ How hard is it going to be to shake all this embarrassment?  _ Anger surged in her, and she stood up. “This isn’t my fault!”, she shouted aloud to no one. “Why, of all witches, did this have to happen to me?” With a grunt, she kicked a large rock, and proceeded to immediately regret it as pain shot through her toe. 

“Shame I’m not on the healing track right about now”, she muttered as she rubbed it, wincing.  _ But I didn’t really think that _ , she mused.  _ Abominations is definitely the best track for me.  _ Although, if she did manage to get selected for the Emperor's Coven, perhaps she would take the time to learn just a couple basic healing spells. 

But the chances of that had certainly taken a hit today.  _ The Emperor's Coven takes only the best! What if today ruined everything?  _ Amity took a deep breath. “No”, she reasoned softly. “This is just one day. I just need to work harder.” Still, there was one lingering issue. Amity needed to find a way to get rid of Luz. She couldn’t afford a repeat of today. 

After that, Amity got up and finished walking home. Just learn more and come up with a plan. That always worked. She calmed down a little bit more. She hadn’t seen Luz at all since she had left her in the hallway. Maybe she was gone, and wouldn’t come back. Maybe Amity wouldn’t have to worry about her again. 

But of course, that was not true. 

Amity was reading a book in her room when Luz phased in through her wall. Amity yelped and fell off her bed. 

“Sorry”, Luz said. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I checked the school, but you weren't there, so I thought you might be here.” Amity groaned, despair rising as it dawned on her that Luz was back, here to screw up her life further.  


“I need your help”, Luz continued. 

Amity couldn’t curb her mocking laugh. “Me? Help you?”, she said. “Why in the titan’s will would I help you? It’s not like you’ve done me any favors!” 

Luz sighed, starting to sway side to side in the air. “Look, Amity. I wasn’t trying to ruin anything for you.” Luz clasped her hands in front of her and stretched out into a position like she was lying on her stomach in the air. “But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Amity, I found something!” 

Amity raised an eyebrow skeptically, crossing her arms across her chest. “What, exactly?”

“I think I might have a way to get back to where I came from! Or, at least, a way to find a way back.” A touch of hopeful excitement had entered Luz’s gaze. 

Hope had sparked in Amity, too. “Wait, do you mean a way to get you out of my life?” 

Luz seemed a little offended for a second, but then said, “I guess so.” with a shrug. 

“I’m in”, Amity said immediately. “What do we have to do?” 

“That was a… lot easier than I expected”, Luz said with a quizzical expression. She shook her head and continued. “I found this woman, I think she’s called the Owl Lady, and she had a bunch of human things! If we can just figure out how she got them, I might have a way back to my world.” Luz sank slightly. “And I guess I’ll just have to figure out what to do from there.”

“Wait”, Amity held her hands out. “Did you say the Owl Lady? As in Eda the Owl Lady? The  _ wanted criminal?”  _

“She did have a wanted poster”, Luz mused. 

“Oh, titan”, Amity said, breath coming quicker. “How did you find her?! The Emperor's Coven has been trying to bring her in for years!”

“I just kind of ran into her while I was flying”, Luz shrugged, starting to drift in loops in the air. 

Amity’s jaw dropped. “You just  _ ran into  _ the most wanted witch on the Boiling Isles?”

Luz nodded. “So”, she asked. “Can you talk to her for me? Ask about where she got those human things?”

Amity hesitated. Would it be better to just stay out of it? Or get Luz to show her where the Owl Lady was and then turn her and her accomplice in?  _ No,  _ she decided.  _ I just need to be done with this whole ghost human business. I can deal with things from there.  _

“Ok”, Amity said. “I’ll help you.” A relieved smile crossed Luz’s face, but Amity held up a finger. “On one condition. Once I help you get back to your world, you leave me and stay out of my life,  _ for real this time _ .” 

Luz hesitated a second, then nodded. 

“One more thing”, Amity said. She drew a circle in the air and held out her hand through it. She wasn’t sure if this would work on ghosts, but she was not going into this without some type of contingency. “Shake on it.” 

Luz looked between Amity’s eyes and hand. “You know I can’t touch things, right?”

“Humor me”, Amity replied coolly. Luz still looked confused, but drifted down to stick her hand through the circle as well. The two engaged in some semblance of a handshake, with Luz sticking her hand through Amity’s to carry out the motion. To Amity’s satisfaction, the circle faded. She hoped that meant the spell had worked. 

“That was an everlasting oath. Just to make sure you can’t break your promise”, Amity said, letting an edge slip through to her words. “I’ll come and help you after school tomorrow. Sound good?”

Luz nodded with a touch more uncertainty than before. “Sounds great.” 

“Fantastic. Now, would you mind giving me a little space? I have work to do.” 

Luz nodded again and left the room. Amity sat back on her bed, hoping she hadn’t just made a huge mistake. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. A Talk With the Owl Lady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz finds witch PE, Amity meets Hooty, and Eda offers a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but it's here. Chapter 3! At least it's pretty long, by my pathetic standards. Classes are a TIME, but my finger has finally healed so I can play oboe again. Only a week more until winter break, during which I hope to put out much content.

Luz didn’t really know what to do the next day. She kind of just flitted about, eager for Amity’s school day to be over so she could (hopefully) make some progress in this situation. Still, the day wasn’t completely without event. 

Luz tried to stay away from Amity, she really did, but their paths just kept crossing. Strangely often, in fact, for what seemed (to Luz at least) to be quite a large school. 

Early in the day, Luz found herself in… magic PE, she guessed? Yeah, that seemed right. All the present witches had changed into loose-fitting tanks or tees and shorts. Several seemed to be shivering. Luz didn’t feel any cold, although she guessed she should, judging off the fact that it was early, with a stiff breeze rustling through the trees rounding the pitch. Eh. Strange. 

Luz really hadn’t been trying to find Amity, or even cross paths with her. Quite the opposite, in fact. She recognized the inconvenience she posed to Amity, and even if she didn’t understand why Amity had to be so much of a jerk about it she still didn’t want to disturb her. Maybe they could even be friends. 

Luz had just been exploring the school, taking a break from sitting in on classes. She would miss this place if Amity’s talk with the Owl Lady really did go anywhere. Not enough to stay, but she wanted to at least take it all in before she went to find answers. She’d floated through a wall to find aforementioned sports pitch. 

The teacher, a small, blue, devil-like creature wearing a baseball cap, white jersey, and whistle, was flapping in front of the students. The contrasting image was honestly kind of bizarre. The teacher blew their whistle sharply. “Listen up! Quiet!”, they called out, voice raspy. The din of the conversing students obligingly softened to a murmur. The teacher cleared their throat. “We’re continuing our grudgby unit today.” 

This statement was met with a mix of groans, indifference, and approval.  _ I guess some things never change,  _ Luz thought. It then occurred to her to wonder why she could remember what PE was like, but nothing about  _ herself  _ ever having a place in it. Why couldn’t she remember? It made no sense. She shook her head and made an agitated loop. 

No, no, nope. No spiraling. Fun exploring of this crazy fantasy world now, looking for answers later. She had a plan. She should make the most of this time. Luz settled herself, stilling in her flight. She turned her attention back to the sports pitch, and pushing thoughts of memory and planning away, flew over to watch. 

“Get into your teams”, the teacher continued. “We’re doing more scrimmages today.” The students moved into groups, which the teacher shuffled onto different parts of the field. Luz was curious now. What would witch  _ sports  _ be like? 

The teams of students set up on either side of the lines drawn to form four small fields. A canvas ball with an eye in it hovered over each line. The teacher flew up higher, held up a thin hand, kept it there for a second, and then blew their whistle sharply. “Go!” 

The teams moved into action, lunging forward to grab the balls. Luz focused on the game to the far left, noticing it had that mean pink-haired girl Amity hung out with on it.  _ Oh, it’s like football,  _ Luz thought as she observed the students passing the ball and running it up the field. 

Then a gout of fire sprung up. 

Luz winced as the edge of the student’s sleeve was singed before they hurriedly cast a spell that summoned water that doused the fire.  _ Not quite like football, then.  _

The student had dropped the ball as they cast the spell, and another student had dropped in from above to duck past the student who had dropped the ball, grabbing it swiftly and tossing it out to a green-haired student further up the field. 

The green haired student took off in a sprint, leaping over a pit of spikes that opened with no warning Luz could see. They hurtled the ball forward to where another student, standing off to the side, screwed up their eyes in concentration. A giant net of orange energy flickered into existence, which the ball bounced off of. It arced high into the air. 

Luz watched in anticipation, biting her lip with wide eyes as the ball flew closer and closer to the hoop. It flew through it perfectly. Luz couldn’t help but let out a cheer. 

She turned to follow the movement of the game, and proceeded to spot Amity on the next field over. Luz froze.  _ How did I not notice her?  _ The ball Amity had been holding slid from her hands as she skidded to a stop, eyes locked on Luz. The opposing team took the opportunity to steal the ball, swooping in to grab it and throwing it through the opposite hoop with ease. The witches Luz presumed were Amity's teammates gave frustrated groans. 

“What happened?”, one guy shouted. “You totally had that!”

“I-”, Amity stammered, her alarmed gaze flashing to Luz. 

“I am so sorry”, Luz said to her at the same time. “I’ll just leave now.” She gave a little wave and an awkward smile before zooming away. Curious as she was to see how this extremely dangerous-looking magic sport played out, she didn’t want to disrupt Amity, especially now that she was helping her (however begrudgingly). How had she managed to cross paths with Amity  _ again,  _ though? 

Luz floated back into Hexside with that question on her lips. 

\---

The moment Amity left the school grounds, the ghost was back. Not that she hadn’t been present all day, here to make her look even more off the deep end. But now Luz was back in fervor, darting about and glancing back at Amity eagerly. 

“Ready?”, Luz asked. 

Amity let out a long-suffering sigh. “Not like I have a choice”, she said haughtily. 

“Great!”, Luz said. 

Amity moved off the path and deeper into the surrounding trees. She did  _ not  _ want to be seen talking to Luz. Again. She leaned back against a tree and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes in the utmost attempt to appear composed. “So, where does the most wanted witch on the Boiling Isles live?” 

Luz stalled in her darting. “Oh. Hm, I didn’t think about how I was going to navigate.” 

Amity let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t exactly talk to the Owl Lady if you can’t show me to her!”

“I wish I could take you flying with me”, Luz said. “That would be the easiest way.”

“You obviously can’t do that.” Amity gestured to Luz’s form. “Any other bright ideas?” 

“Well… I could fly up and get a general direction.” 

“It’s a start. You may as well, I suppose.” 

Luz gave a nod and then flashed up through the trees. She was fast, Amity had to give her that. She’d been flying before, of course, on the staffs of caretakers or instructors. She’d even been on her mother’s staff. Once. But she still wondered what it would be like to fly, really fly, under her own power. No staffs or aides or instructors, just pure, unbridled flight. She imagined it would be freeing. Or terrifying. 

Luz was back quickly, quicker than Amity would have expected. “It’s this way!”, she beckoned. 

Amity followed, keeping her pace restrained, dignified. She was  _ not  _ going to appear desperate, even just to this human ghost. They continued like this for quite a while, Luz flying up to navigate, coming back down and directing Amity, and the two walking along in silence for a time.

Finally, Luz floated down from another navigational scout up and, pointing excitedly, said “It’s right up ahead!”

Amity stopped and crossed her arms, trying to hold in the nerves. Now that they were actually here, she wasn’t sure she  _ wanted  _ to do this. What if the Owl Lady was dangerous? What if talking to her made Amity an accomplice? What if this ruined her future just as much as Luz’s presence already was?

Evidently she wasn’t hiding her anxieties as well as she’d hoped, because Luz floated closer and, seeming just a tad unsure, asked “Are you ok? You seem a little tense.”

Amity took a sharp breath and burst out “I’m fine! I’m a Blight, and we don’t get  _ tense. _ ” 

Luz seemed like she was about to say something, but was promptly interrupted when some…  _ thing  _ came through her insubstantial body, right at Amity. It was some sort of demon bird tube, brown with a disturbingly flat face on the end. Amity had seen a lot of things in her fourteen years on the Boiling Isles, but never something quite like this. 

Luz alarmedly yelled “Amity!” as Amity instinctively lashed out, throwing a punch at the bird-tube. The bird-tube was wholly unfazed. 

“Hoot hoot, a new friend?”, the bird-tube called. “Eda will want to know about this!” Amity shrieked as the bird-tube snaked its body around her and dragged her out into an open clearing, at the end of which stood a house.  _ This isn’t how this was supposed to go!  _ Amity thought.  _ I was supposed to have a  _ plan _! _

“Amity!”, Luz called again, eyes widening. She followed quickly, and seemed to be attempting to slow the bird-tube, but that of course didn’t work out. 

“Edaaaaaa, you have a visitoooor”, the bird tube singsonged once it had dragged an indignantly punching Amity close to the door. 

“I WILL TEAR YOU APART!”, Amity shrieked. Luz had ceased her efforts to free Amity, and now just floated by, openmouthed and wide-eyed at the bizarre circumstance. 

The door to the house opened, revealing a lady with wild grey hair, pale skin, and a red dress. “Oh, stop harassing the kid, Hooty”, the lady said, waving a hand. The bird-tube, Hooty, let out a sad  _ aw,  _ and dropped Amity in an undignified heap on the ground.

Amity was now rather at a loss for words, laying there for a moment before getting up and brushing herself off.  _ Oh titan, is this the Owl Lady?  _ Amity thought. She didn’t believe the witch’s purported boasts about being ‘The Most Powerful Witch on the Boiling Isles’- anyone sensible, such as herself, knew no one could surpass Emperor Belos, and even then she was certain that most other officials were far more powerful than the Owl Lady as well. Still, she couldn’t be weak to have evaded capture for this long, and she was certainly dangerous. Further, as advanced as Amity was for her age, she wasn’t confident in her ability to take on a full grown witch. 

In short, Amity really hoped the Owl Lady was feeling merciful today. 

The Owl Lady’s eyes looked over her appraisingly, narrowing as they did so. “How did you find me?”, she asked. 

“I- uh…”

“Tell her about me!”, Luz offered. 

Amity shot her a look that she hoped said  _ no, I am most certainly not going to do that because I don’t want the criminal thinking I’m CRAZY! _

“I… used a map?” was the explanation Amity offered instead, and proceeded to immediately regret. 

The Owl Lady’s eyes instantly hardened. “Where did you get a map to the Owl House?”, she asked sharply. 

Amity went back to stammering, and Luz facepalmed. Finally Amity choked out, “A shop?”

“Why would you want to come here, anyway?”, the Owl Lady asked, gaze still steel. “You’re obviously one of those” -she shivered- “traditionally educated students. And by the looks of it, very good at following the rules.” The Owl Lady nodded towards her torso, and Amity remembered she was still wearing her top student badge.  _ Stupid! You should have taken that off! _

Amity took a deep breath.  _ Remember, this will all be worth it when it gets the ghost out of your life. Just figure out where the human objects are from and get out.  _ “I… heard you had human stuff.” 

The Owl Lady cocked her head, seeming to take interest. “Oh really?”, she asked. 

Amity nodded hurriedly, happy to be off the topic of how she’d gotten here. “Yes! Yes, I’m really interested in human stuff.” Amity resisted the urge to turn her head back and glare at Luz as she heard the ghost human snigger behind her. 

The Owl Lady’s lips widened into a smile. “I’d never turn down a customer. Why don’t you come in and take a look?” She beckoned Amity with a hand before her expression hardened again. “Don’t even think of trying anything.” 

Amity saw Luz flinch a little. But she knew how to hide her own emotions, as rubbish a job she had been doing of it lately. Having had the minute to compose herself, she walked in with her head up. 

“Why didn’t you just tell her about me?”, Luz asked as the door shut behind them. 

Amity gave the slightest shake of her head. She would not talk to Luz in the presence of others. Luz seemed to realize this, and biting her lip instead offered, “Ok. Ask her where she got the human objects, then!” 

“I’m getting to that”, Amity wanted to say exasperatedly, but instead settled on a minute nod. 

“Stay here”, the Owl Lady said before heading through the door at the back of the room they had entered, leaving Amity standing awkwardly in the center of the room, not wanting to touch anything. The hodgepodge of a room was rather unrespectable, Amity thought. But she wasn’t here to judge a criminal’s choice of decor. She was here to get a ghost out of her life. 

The Owl Lady returned shortly with a sack trailing behind her, which she heaved over next to Amity and opened. 

“We got some real gems here”, the Owl Lady said. She laid out several items before picking up the first one and holding it out to her. It was a short metal stick about as high as her waist, with a series of curved prongs coming up off the top. “This is a human hunting stick. They use it to track down their prey.”

Luz doubled over in silent laughter. Amity gave her a puzzled look and Luz wheezed out “That’s a rake.” This meant absolutely nothing to Amity, so she just turned her gaze back to the Owl Lady. 

“We also have this revered human artifact.” The Owl Lady held out her fist, then opened it to reveal a small pink object made of some hard materiel. 

Luz’s laughter got even harder. “That's a fidget spinner!”

Amity finally spoke up, not wanting to be here longer than she had to. “Miss… Owl Lady-”

The Owl Lady cut her off. “Call me Eda.” 

“Oh”, Amity said, a bit surprised. It seemed so informal. But then again, everything about the Owl Lady- Eda- seemed informal, certainly moreso than Amity had expected given her reputation. She continued. “Eda. I was wondering, where do you get all these human things?”

Eda set down the shiny object she had been about to pick up. “I don’t give up trade secrets.” 

“I really need to know. Please?”, Amity said, ashamed of the desperation edging into her voice. 

“Just tell her about me!”, Luz said, waving her arms wildly, and  _ very  _ distractingly. 

Eda considered for a moment. “How badly do you need this information?”

“I really need to know”, Amity pleaded. 

Eda got up and planted a hand on her hip. “I need to know I can trust you. You don’t seem like Emperor’s Coven.”  _ That  _ stung. Amity’s heart gave an involuntary drop as she tried to remind herself that the opinion of a criminal didn’t matter. 

Eda hadn’t noticed Amity’s hurt at the remark- thankfully- and ploughed on without pause. “But I still need a bit of proof of your conviction. I’ve had my fair share of run ins with the law, as you no doubt know. A few years back, they managed to take something from me. All I ask is that you retrieve it.”

If Amity’s heart had dropped before, it was with the Titan now. Steal from the  _ government?  _ That would destroy her future for sure. She began to hyperventilate. 

Luz apparently noticed and floated closer, hovering her hands by Amity’s shoulder as if she wanted to give her a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I’m sure we can find another way…” 

A wave of determination shot through Amity at that moment, inexplicable and invigorating. She curled her hands into fists and met the older witch’s eye, proceeding to utter words she, in hindsight, would come to very much regret: “What do I have to do.” 

A hint of surprise flashed in Eda’s eyes as a smirk crossed her face. “More gall than I gave you credit for, kid.” She turned her head back and bellowed, “KING!”

The three waited there a second, and then a small, admittedly slightly adorable demon came through the entryway. “What is… oh!” He startled once he caught sight of Luz and Amity. Or just Amity, she supposed. 

“Who’s the visitor?”, the demon, King, asked, as he hopped over to Eda and climbed up to perch on her shoulder. 

“This kid here is going to get the Orb of Frosted Sight back.”

Amity froze, a deer in the headlights. Luz looked at a loss. 

Eda drew a spell circle and pulled up the image of an imposing building. Oh titan, was that the  _ Emperor's Palace?! _

“We’ve been trying to get that oracle artifact back for years now. Never managed to crack the palace’s security, though. We’re too well known. That’s where you come in, kid.” 

Eda gave a flick of her hand, and the projection of the palace zoomed in, spinning to hone in on a spot in the back where the castle structure met the cliff. “We’ll bring you this far. Then all you have to do is infiltrate the palace, grab our Orb, and get out!” Eda said this all with the same tone someone might use to tell a person they were going to a waterpark. 

“So”, Eda said with a grin. “What do you say?” 

Without thinking Amity looked to Luz, who mouthed “Your choice.” Amity snapped her eyes back to Eda, and with a gulp and a deeply queasy feeling in her stomach, said: “I’ll do it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Eda's sending a random teenager on a heist. Let's see how this one goes, hm?


	4. The Winter's Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eda sends a teenager she just met on a heist. Arson is committed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know it's been a bit since I updated this story, but the creative juice for it is finally flowing again, and I am working on Chapter 5 as I post this. And this one's almost twice my average chapter length! We're really speeding into plot now, so strap in for the ride.

Luz had to admit, she was really relieved Amity had agreed to Eda’s terms. It was a lot to ask, and of course Luz couldn’t ask that of her, but they were so close to getting answers. 

After Amity had agreed, she and Eda had worked out that Amity would come back to the Owl House Friday night. Then they would carry out the aforementioned plan; Eda would drop Amity at the spot she’d specified on the projection, where there was apparently a garbage chute leading to the kitchens. Eda had a good idea of the room the Orb should be in, which both Luz and Amity had taken note of. Amity would grab the Orb and signal to Eda with some sort of magic bell when she needed to be extracted, and they would all fly triumphantly away. 

That was the plan, anyway.

It was currently afternoon, the time at which they would go to the Owl House fast approaching. Amity had been pacing the length of her room for the past half hour. 

“There are so many things that could go wrong!”, Amity exclaimed for the twentieth time. “Why did I agree to this!” She let out a long groan. 

Luz’s previous attempts to calm Amity down had not succeeded in the least, but she kept trying. “I’ll be there to help you! What’s the worst that could happen?”

Amity spun on her heel to stare at Luz. “What’s. The worst. That could HAPPEN?” Amity returned to pacing even faster, voice rising on every word. “Let’s see. I could get injured. I could get caught. I could get thrown in prison, at the very least! All my career paths would definitely be ruined. I’d be a criminal. I. Might. Get. Petrified!” Amity threw herself down on her bed. 

“Um…” Luz bit her lip. “You could try taking deep breaths?” Other people had always told her to do that when she got keyed up, and it had sometimes helped. 

Amity took one long breath. “Ok. Everything is fine.” She looked back to Luz, then to the clock on her dresser. Luz followed her gaze, watching as each hand ticked closer. She did a little skip in the air, nerves beginning to edge in. She herself had nothing to worry about; no one would even know she was there. But the little ball of guilt sitting heavily in her gut for getting Amity into all of this had been steadily growing. She didn’t want to get Amity in trouble. She could be a jerk, but as much as she tried to hide it Luz could see a softer side to her. (A friendly side?). She definitely didn’t deserve witch prison. 

“You could still back out”, Luz said softly. 

Amity’s gaze flared. “I don’t back out of agreements”, she said stiffly. Her eyes on Luz grew sharper. “Just like  _ you  _ won’t back out of yours.” 

Luz nodded. “I won’t”, she agreed. 

Amity took a look out the window, then at the clock. “We should be going”, she said. 

Luz gave a nod to this too. 

\---

Anxiety swirled in Amity’s chest like a nest of flies. She was frankly embarrassed by how much she had been showing it in front of Luz. If the ghost had had any sort of respect for her before, it was certainly gone now. 

Titan, if her parents found her sneaking out, they would  _ kill  _ her. She really hoped this whole mess would be quick. But it was a Friday night, which hopefully meant they would be well occupied with last-minute work and after that was done whatever programs were on. 

Amity pushed the door open slowly, wincing at the creak the movement made. She was just peeking out the crack into the hallway when Luz darted through the door right above her, startling her immensely. She yelped and ducked back, bumping into her dresser with a clatter.

She heard a little gasp from Luz. “I’m so sorry!”, Luz whispered. 

“It’s fine”, Amity said with a shiver. “Everything is  _ fine _ ”, she added under her breath. She moved back to the door and slipped out into the hallway, being as quiet as she could. She heard her mother yelling, probably on a call, faintly from down the hallway. She and Luz made it out without a hitch, slipping down the stairs and through a few more of the manor’s old corridors before making it out the back door in the kitchens. Amity’s footsteps fell upon silence in the dark woods, crunching on the orange leaves. Luz was soundless flying beside her. 

Luz’s directions came more confidently and quicker this time. She seemed to have a better sense of where the Owl House was across her few visits. Amity walked through all of this almost numbly, mind wandering. Before she knew it, they were just outside the clearing of the Owl House, Luz floating eagerly in front. Amity hesitated. 

_ I’m not ready!,  _ she thought. 

Luz’s eyes shifted down to look at the ground. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.” 

Amity brought a hand up to her face as she realized she must have said that aloud. “Let’s just… get this over with”, she said briskly, walking through Luz and into the clearing without any further discussion. 

The creepy bird tube was sleeping, letting out softly hooting snores. Amity did  _ not  _ want to have to deal with that thing again, so she took a fortifying breath before knocking gently on Eda’s door. Amity waited a minute, but there was no response.  _ What’s taking her so long?  _ She didn’t dare hope that maybe she wouldn’t have to do this after all. 

Luz cocked her head, and then flew past Amity and through the wall. After a couple of moments, she poked her head back out. “She’s coming”, Luz said. “I think she was sleeping.” 

That did nothing to impart confidence in Amity.  _ This  _ was what she was relying on to get her out of the Emperor's Castle once she found the oracle ball? 

She was absolutely doomed. 

Soon enough, Eda arrived at the door, pulling it open in a hurry. Her hair was a little disheveled and her dress a bit rumpled, but otherwise she seemed ready to go, staff in hand. Upon seeing Amity on the step, a lopsided grin came over her face. 

“Come on in, prep school”, she said, holding an arm out. Amity stepped over the threshold hesitantly, Luz following. That swarm of anxiety was, somehow, growing. 

“You remember the plan?”, Eda asked, planting her staff. Amity gulped, but nodded. She noticed Luz move a little closer, as if to comfort her. Amity made a little swatting motion. She didn’t need comfort! She was fine! Everything was fine! She’d get this lady’s orb, Luz would get her information, and then Amity’s life would finally be back on track. 

“Fantastic”, Eda said. She went to a shelf and grabbed a little brass bell, tossing it at Amity, who caught it clumsily. “Here’s your bell, ring it when I can pick you up. It’ll alert me to your location.” She turned and went out the door, beckoning Amity with a sharp-nailed finger. 

Once the two were outside, Eda let go of her staff and let it float vertically. It was quite a beautiful thing, now that Amity looked at it. It looked well made, and  _ powerful.  _ Amity wondered how a wanted witch like Eda had gotten one so nice. Eda sat down on the front of the staff, patting the spot on the back where Amity could sit. Amity was very much regretting agreeing to this. There were so many ways getting on the staff of a strange criminal you met just a few days ago could go wrong. But she got on nevertheless. 

“Hooty’s in charge while I’m gone!”, Eda yelled back right before they took off. The infernal house demon, which had by now woken up, let out a shrill of delight, and from within the house Amity could make out a high-pitched, disgruntled shriek. 

\---

Luz let out a gasp as they came up to the castle. She’d seen it from a distance, far into the sky, but up close it was so much more… imposing. It gave off massive villain vibes. Luz faltered a little bit as she began to wonder if this was really the best plan. 

“Is this the emperor’s castle?”, she asked Amity. Amity shot her a look, making a gesture towards Eda, before nodding. Eda didn’t notice, her focus forward as she concentrated on flying. 

“It’s so… big”, Luz said simply. 

Amity gave her a look that clearly meant “Obviously.” 

Eda maneuvered the staff around and close down above the moat. Skimming the water, she dodged the lights and rounds of the guards, pulling them up into the shadow of the castle’s rocky black foundation. An unsettling feeling came over Luz as they neared the castle. This place gave her the creeps. 

Finally, they came up to what seemed like a very dirty pipe, beneath which was a pile composed of all manner of garbage. Amity gagged and held her nose, but Luz didn’t smell anything. Eda, somehow, didn’t seem affected by the presumed stench either. This was rather puzzling, as Luz could almost see the little cartoon stench lines coming off the pile, even without an actual sense of smell. Eda alighted upon one of the more stable-looking parts of this pile and hopped off the staff. Amity was far more hesitant to do the same. Luz didn’t even want to get close to the heap. 

“I got you this far. Now it’s your turn!”, Eda announced cheerfully, albeit in a hushed whisper. “There’s a ladder on the inside of the chute. Climb up it and into the kitchens. See you soon!” Eda swung herself back up onto the staff and with a wave flew silently off into the night, leaving a wide-eyed Amity to stare after her. 

Luz made a little circle. “So.... should we get going, or…?” 

“Let’s just get this over with”, Amity replied exasperatedly, her voice nasally due to the fingers she still held pinched over her nose. 

There was, indeed, a ladder inside the chute, just as Eda had said. It was not a pleasant sight within, garbage streaking down the sides and caught in crevices. But if it was bad for her, Luz couldn’t imagine how bad it was for Amity, who had to smell as well as see it. 

Once Amity reached the top of the ladder amid muttered curses and complaints, she looked to Luz expectantly. Upon Luz’s lack of response, Amity let out an exasperated sigh and said, “Check if the coast is clear?”

“Oh. Yeah!” Luz said. She flew through the metal hatch and was immediately hit with a rush of noise. The kitchen was  _ busy.  _ Steam drifted around boiling pots and huge ovens, as chefs of varying species rushed about, yelling back and forth. Utensils clattered, knives chopped, water rushed and pots crashed. Even at night, it seemed, the kitchen did not sleep. 

The hatch to the garbage chute, unfortunately, emerged amid all this, in plain view. 

Luz darted back through the hatch to relay the bad news to Amity, who groaned. “What are we going to do now?!” 

Luz bit her lip. “Maybe I could try and create a distraction?”

“How, exactly?”, Amity asked. “You can’t touch stuff, and no one can see you.”

“Do you have a better idea?”, Luz asked. 

Amity let out a sigh. “No”, she admitted. “Alright, go try. But please be quick, my arms are getting tired.” 

Luz nodded affirmingly before heading back into the kitchen.  _ What can I do?  _ She swiped through a couple of breakable-looking racks of plates, and then a few people, but of course that had no avail. Then she tried making noise, yelling and shouting and flying around so fast she blurred (more than usual, anyway). This, too, met no success. 

Luz slumped back, defeated. She had to come up with something! Amity couldn’t just come out into a crowded kitchen full of staff. She looked around the kitchen, hoping to see something that might give her an idea. Her eyes landed on one of the large cooking pots, beneath which burned…

_ Fire.  _

A grin began to creep its way across Luz’s face. 

\---

Amity really wanted to know what was going on in that kitchen. Her grip had been starting to falter when she had heard the alarmed screaming start up, with a clatter and a  _ woosh  _ that could be heard even through the thick metal of the hatch. Was it Luz doing that?  _ How?  _

Soon enough, she got her answer as a cheekily grinning Luz phased into the garbage chute. “Kitchen’s clear”, she said, snickering. 

Amity’s mouth fell open, something she immediately regretted as the stink of the garbage chute hit her again in force, but she was too surprised to care. “What-” Amity stopped as she pushed open the hatch and saw the carnage. 

It looked like there had been an explosion. It was, as Luz had promised, empty, but it was also completely destroyed. The walls were blackened, charred appliances steaming. Even the metal utensils were melting. 

“What happened here?”, Amity gasped. 

“I can manipulate fire now!”, Luz beamed, bouncing in the air. 

“You- Sorry- What?!”

Luz circled darting from left to right excitedly. “It was awesome! I tried a bunch of other things at first, but then I thought, ‘there are some big cooking fires they have going here, what if I could just push it just a little and scare some people off?’ So I went and tried and, like, just imagined pushing it out a bit. It moved slowly at first, and some alarm went off and most of everyone left, but then it got a little out of hand-”

Amity held up a hand, cutting off Luz's ramble. “You can tell me later. We need to get moving. The longer we’re here the more chance I have of getting caught.” 

After Luz checked it, Amity cautiously crept out into the hallway, crowded with staff, undoubtedly from the kitchen. She was able to slip into the crowd without notice, moving through it until she got into a more empty hallway, where she stopped. 

“Where to next?”, Luz asked. Amity thought back to the instructions Eda had given her to where the Orb should be. 

“Um… left, I think.”

Luz gave a sound nod. “Sounds right.” The pair set off down the hallway, which was dark with unlit torches. The only sound was Amity’s footsteps and soft breathing. In the dark, Amity noticed Luz had a very slight glow, surprisingly warm in color. It struck Amity all at once how bizarre this whole situation was. She was breaking into Emperor freaking Belos’s castle for the most wanted witch on the Boiling Isles with an actual, dead ghost just so she could get rid of said ghost. She let out a soft chuckle. 

“Hm?”, Luz asked, turning her head to look down at Amity. 

“Oh, nothing”, Amity replied. Now that she was here in this quiet hallway with no one but her and the ghost, some of her stress began to dissipate. There was absolutely no going back now, that was for sure. “Just thinking about how strange this all is.”

“It really is”, Luz laughed. “This has been a lot.”

“I’ll say”, Amity snorted. 

They both froze as they heard heavy footsteps. “Hide!”, Luz shrieked. 

“Where?”

“Uh…”, Luz’s head whipped around. “Behind that tapestry!” 

Amity had no time to think as she ducked behind the art, finding a slight hollow in the wall where she could flatten herself so to not create a bulge in the tapestry. She held her breath, not daring to let out a relieved sigh. Voices drifted to her through the thick cloth. 

“In addition, the Emperor has ordered increased patrols along the east end of the isles”, said one, high pitched, clipped, and orderly. “Be sure you see to it.” 

“Yes, ma’m.” The second voice was deeper in pitch, and muffled as if it came from behind a mask. The speaker lowered their volume to a whisper, so Amity had to strain to hear. “If I may ask, what’s going on? 

“The emperor simply wants to keep the Isles safer. The coven has been far too lenient lately; There are more criminals and wild witches than ever, and we need to reign them in.” The first voice grew colder. “I know you do not doubt the Titan’s will.” 

“No, ma’m”, came the second voice hastily. “I know he only wants the best for us.” 

There was a satisfied little “Hm”, from the first voice, and the footsteps picked up again. Amity listened with bated breath as they receded into silence. Only at that point did she finally relax, pulling away from the wall and back out into the open. 

Luz was there. “What was that all about?”, she asked. 

“Just some officials, guards probably. As they said, they’re just doing their best to keep the Isles safe.” Amity hoped the wave of her hand didn’t betray her tension. 

“They were talking about ‘the titan’s will’ or something. And wild witches. What does that mean?” 

Annoyance surged in Amity. “Nothing that matters”, she said, before remembering to keep her voice down. “Anyway, you’re leaving after this. I don’t have to explain anything.” 

Luz shrank back with a hurt look, and Amity felt a stab of pity. She ignored it. They had to keep moving. 

\---

Despite how Amity had shut her down, questions still buzzed through Luz’s head. There was so much she didn’t know about this world. Even if she would be leaving Amity, and hopefully heading back to her own world, after this, she still wanted answers. 

Regardless, they were now coming up on the area where Eda had said the Orb should be, after ascending through several floors and countless samey hallways in this castle. They had moved in mostly silence, not making conversation. Still, Luz was grateful Amity was here; she probably would have gotten lost on her own. Together, they had been able to remember the way. 

The door to the room was, surprisingly, unguarded. Then again, with all the security on the exterior of the castle, why should they need to waste resources guarding interior doors? (except maybe the really important ones). It was big, though, and, Luz assumed, locked. Amity was crouching behind a huge decorative vase across the hall from the door. 

“I’ll go make sure this is the right room”, Luz said, flying off without waiting for an answer. She flew through the door, and then stopped. 

The room was large, but wasn’t very organized. It was obviously storage. All manner of different objects were heaped on the pristine shelves that lined the walls. But in the center, lying on a towering pile of other objects, was an item that Luz just knew was Eda’s Orb of Frosted Sight. 

It consisted of a round globe and a solid wood base. The globe had gentle little spiderwebs of a frost pattern creeping up the inside, obscuring the center. Within, Luz could see some sort of blurred image, surrounded by white particles.  _ Could that be my future?  _ She resisted the urge to go up and look closer, instead heading back through the wall to get Amity. 

“This is definitely it”, Luz told Amity confidently. 

Amity let out a tense breath. “Thank the Titan. Let’s just get in, grab that oracle, and get out.”

The door was, much to Luz’s surprise, unlocked. The ease at which Amity could enter the room fostered a little prickle of suspicion in the back of Luz’s mind, but she shrugged it off. Amity shut the door softly before walking up to the central pile, craning her neck to look up to the Orb. 

Luz let out a soft ‘hmm’. “Do you think I could use my fire magic to get it?” 

“No!”, Amity said hurriedly, throwing out her arms. “Do not try to use your fire magic”, she continued, a little more calmly. 

“Well… you could try summoning an abomination”, Luz offered. 

“No, it would be too heavy”, Amity replied absently. “Abominations are dense, and some of this stuff looks delicate.”

“I mean… does it really matter if you break just a little bit of this emperor guy’s stuff?”

“I’m not causing more damage to add to my list of crimes!”

“Alright, no abominations then”, Luz conceded. 

Amity groaned. “You’re sure you can’t touch stuff?” 

Luz stuck out a hand and swiped it harmlessly through a little doll that poked out of the pile. “Nope.” 

“Great”, Amity grumbled. “I don’t want to be here for an hour.”

They stood (or, Amity stood, Luz floated) there for another minute, before Luz had another idea. She may not know much about this world’s magic system yet, but she did know how to throw stuff. 

“Hey, Amity?”, Luz asked. Amity made an acknowledging noise, and Luz continued, “How good is your aim?”

Amity scoffed. “I was grudgby captain for years before I quit. My aim’s great.”

“Do you think you could hit the Orb?”

Amity turned to look at Luz. “Do I think I could… what?” 

Luz mimed throwing. “Do you think you could, you know, throw something in here and knock the Orb off the pile?”

“Well… I mean, probably, but that would just break it! I’m pretty sure Eda wants the Orb intact.” 

“Not if there’s something to catch it. Like...”

Amity’s expression brightened as she caught onto Luz’s train of thought. “An abomination!” She rocked back on her heel. “That’s… actually not a bad idea.” 

Luz shrugged. “I’m good for some things, you know”, she said teasingly. Amity scoffed, but Luz could see she was smiling. 

Luz gave Amity silence while she summoned the abomination. Sweat beaded on her brow, and she gritted her teeth as she drew the glowing spell circle. Slowly, the abomination rose up from nothing on the floor. Luz was impressed; as far as she’d seen, this was a pretty big one, at least compared to the ones other students made at school. It turned, looking to Amity with its blank eyes. She pointed and ordered, “Abomination, catch.” The abomination groaned and moved to where Amity indicated. 

They chose a small, round throw pillow for Amity to throw. It was stiffly stuffed so it had enough heft it should be able to knock the Orb, while also being soft enough and void of sharp edges that may break it.

Luz flew up behind the Orb and helped Amity set up her aim. “A little to the left and… there, you should hit it.” Amity nodded, and with a deep breath pulled her arm back just a little bit and threw. The ratty pillow flew true and hit the Orb. Just as they had hoped, it was pushed into the air. Luz was board-stiff in the air as she watched it arc. 

It landed safely in Amity’s abomination’s outstretched hands. 

Luz let out a whoop, and Amity sighed with relief, hurrying to take the precious object from the abomination’s grasp. “Abomination, released”, she said, and the abomination dissolved back to sludge which quickly dissipated until it was like it had never been there. 

“Let’s get going”, Amity said. 

Luz pointed to a thick, dusty quilt (or, what looked like a quilt), hanging out of one of the shelves. “We should wrap it up.” Amity considered a moment, then nodded, carefully setting down the Orb and pulling the quilt off the shelf to wrap it. 

Luz checked the hall to make sure it was clear before beckoning Amity out, nerves coursing through her. The stakes felt higher now that they actually had the Orb in their possession. Seeing no one, she beckoned Amity out silently. Luz knew she didn’t strictly  _ need  _ to be stealthy, but it felt like a good idea nevertheless. 

They made their way back through the corridors without hassle. Now that she thought about it, there had been an odd absence of guards altogether; after leaving the crowd of kitchen staff behind, the only other castle staff they had encountered were the guard and small red and blue creature who had been talking together. Maybe it was just because it was night? Still, something about it made Luz uneasy, even though she knew she should probably just accept it gratefully. 

But of course, everything couldn’t just go without a hitch. 

Luz didn’t bother checking around the corner as she and Amity hurriedly turned down another hallway. She froze as she saw the horde of guards. Even more fear-inducing was the witch at their head, a head taller than the rest. Their presence sent a shiver down her spine. They wore a long white, brown, and tan cloak that flowed to the floor and a golden mask with indecipherable eyes and two tall spikes on either side like horns. Their gold-clad hand clutched a tall, mechanical-looking staff, definedly different from Eda’s. 

“Emperor Belos”, Amity whispered breathlessly. 

The witch brought their staff in front of their body and steepled their hands. “Correct, young one. And what, if I may ask, are you doing here?” The witch’s voice (Emperor Belos?) sent shivers down Luz’s spine, a cold she hadn’t felt since she’d become a ghost. 

Amity gave Belos no answer, instead staring at him with fear-wide eyes. Her grip on the Orb slipped, but she managed to keep a hold. Luz resisted the urge to back away, instead staying with Amity. 

After a moment with no response, Belos continued in that same cold, even tone. “Amity Blight, is that correct? Quite the protege, well on track for my own coven. Advanced in your class, and under the tutelage of Lilith Clawthorne, no less.” Belos tilted his head, and the hollow eyes seemed to narrow, hone in. “What would a bright young witch like you be doing in my castle?”

“H- how-”, Amity stammered. 

Belos took a hand off his staff and swept it around. “I know everything that goes on in my castle.”

He turned his head so that his gaze fell directly on Luz, floating beside Amity. “Quite an interesting case we have here, as well. Isn’t that right, Luz Noceda?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Luz discovered the light spell first in canon, but in MY canon she discovers fire first because it's convenient. Thanks for reading!


	5. Did Somebody Order a Fireball to the Face?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An escape, a dash more arson, and decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of break is fast approaching, and I wanted to get something more written out for this story before my presumably long school-induced absence of writing time, so y'all get super fast update! It's not too short either, we're getting to the point in the story where I have a lot of plot and plot heavy stuff means longer chapters. Also, don't y'all love how my chapter naming has evolved? I went from absolutely basic to... this.

At the emperor’s words, Amity staggered back, and Luz’s mouth fell open in shock. He could  _ see her?  _ Or at least knew she was there. How? No one had so much as perceived her presence thus far in this world. So why this witch? 

“You- you can see her?”, Amity stammered. 

Belos looked down on Amity. “Of course. I see all. As is the Titan’s will.” 

In that moment, the alarm bells that had been going off in Luz’s mind ever since she first saw Belos skyrocketed. This dude did not have good things planned for them. Either of them. They needed to get out of here asap. 

They needed a plan. But Luz couldn’t exactly brainstorm with Amity, not with Belos there and seeing her. Luz’s eyes flicked to the torches that lined the wall.  _ Does Belos know about what I can do with fire?  _

Luz turned to face Belos, floating up so she was level with his tall frame. “How can you see me?”, she asked, unable to hold back the tinge of curiosity in her tone. “No one else has been able to. Besides Amity.” 

“Curious, aren’t you. A little-”, was what he started to say. But he was abruptly interrupted when Luz concentrated and swung her hands around from the nearest torch, greeting Belos with a fireball to the face. The Emperor let out an enraged snarl, but Luz was already off. 

“Run!”, she called to Amity, who had stood mostly frozen throughout the encounter. The shout seemed to snap her out of stupor, and she took off running back down the hall she came from. 

“Where can we go?”, Amity asked fearfully. “The kitchens are back that way!” 

“You still have the bell, right?”, Luz asked. Amity nodded. “Eda said it would tell her where we were! If we can just get to the outside, she should be able to grab you.” 

“But the emperor found us! Security’s going to be all out.” 

Luz hadn’t considered that. She racked her brain; there must be some solution to this! Her mind was suddenly drawn to memories of heist movies from her own world. That was what this was, wasn’t it? A crazy fantasy heist, but a heist nevertheless. And how would the thieves or spies or what-have-you get around in said movies? 

“The vents!”, Luz called sharply.

“The what?”, Amity cried. 

“A castle like this must have a ventilation system. I mean, it’s huge. So if we can just find one, you can hide in it until all the guards pass. Then they should connect to the outside at some point!” Luz was lucky she didn’t get out of breath as a ghost, by virtue of not breathing. It made relaying ideas much easier. 

Amity skidded around a corner, Luz dashing right ahead of her. Her eyes fell on a vent, triangular and close to the ground. “There!” 

Luz pulled to a halt, and so did Amity on the ground below her. “Go, go!”, Luz said. Amity crouched down and gave a tug on the grate, but to Luz’s dismay it didn’t budge. 

“Are there any screws?”, Luz asked, panic growing in her by the minute. 

“No!” 

Luz whipped her head around, looking for a solution. Her eyes landed upon one, a large brazier across the corridor. “Stand back!”, she called. Amity started to form a question, but immediately jumped out of the way as Luz directed a gout of fire from the brazier towards the grate. Luz concentrated on making it  _ hot.  _ Satisfaction flooded through her as she watched the grate grow red-hot, and then melt into a puddle of molten metal. Despite the stakes of the situation, she couldn’t help the little thrill of excitement at all this; she was really doing  _ magic.  _ Again! There were definitely upsides to being in this world. 

Luz cut the fire off and waved a hand to prompt Amity to proceed. Amity shoved the Orb in ahead of her before crawling into the vent herself. After a moment, Luz darted in after her. Now she really did need to hide, with Belos able to see her. There wasn’t a way to replace the grate over the vent, so she hoped any guards looking for them wouldn’t look down and notice. Amity crawled around a bend ahead of her, and Luz followed. The two listened tensely as heavy footsteps pounded past, echoing down the shaft. But they passed, and Amity and Luz remained undiscovered. 

There was a shared sigh of relief. “Where to next?”, Amity asked. 

Luz had… no idea. She told Amity as much. The witch considered, before saying “We’re on the north side of the castle, so if we head that way—” she pointed down the shaft they were currently crouching in “—we should make it out.”

It was as good a lead as any, so Luz nodded, and the two set off down the cramped tunnel. Well, cramped for Amity, who had to duck low and crawl on her elbows as she shoved the Orb ahead of her. Wrapping that thing in the quilt had  _ definitely  _ been a good idea. Luz kind of just phased into the wall, which was quite the strange experience, but at least it spared her the claustrophobia. 

Thankfully, Amity’s hunch turned out to be correct. Or maybe they had just been lucky. Either way, after a few intersections and what felt like far too long crawling through the walls, Amity let out an exclamation of “Sunlight!” and Luz spotted the dim morning rays filtering through the grate. Had they really been at this all night? 

“My parents are going to kill me…” Amity moaned. 

“Maybe they won’t notice?” Luz offered. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised”, Luz heard Amity mutter under her breath. Luz felt a pang of pity for Amity. From what she’d seen, Amity’s parents were… not great. She seemed to try to avoid them most of the time, and what interactions she had seen (although most of the time Luz tried to drift to another room whenever Amity’s family was concerned; it felt intrusive to eavesdrop) they expected a lot of their daughter, providing judgement rather than any sort of affection. 

That aside, they were now presented with the dilemma of how to get out of the vents and into the open so Eda could pick them up. It wouldn’t be an issue for Luz; she could just go through the bars without any trouble. Amity, however, did not have that luxury. 

Amity gave the grate a tug, but it was just as firm as the one in the hallway had been. No screws on this one, either. 

“Any chance you could do that fire thing again?” Amity asked. 

Luz hummed. “I haven’t tried it without any available fire yet. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Stand back.” Amity shimmied backwards awkwardly, and Luz flew through her to be in front of the grate. She noticed Amity’s shiver as she did so. 

Luz concentrated, not quite sure what exactly she should be doing. Holding her hands out front, she envisioned the grate melting under her flames. 

What she got were a few miserable pops as a couple of sparks flicked outwards from her hands, before unceremoniously dying out. 

Luz clicked her tongue. “That’s a no, then.” 

Amity flopped to the ground, shoving her face into her hands. “THIS is where this ends?” 

“Do you know any spells that could deal with the grate?” Luz asked. 

“This space is too small for me to do any effective spellcasting,” Amity replied despondently. 

“Hm.” Luz phased through the grate and into the open space, putting a hand on her chin. She pondered for a second before the idea which should have been obvious to her in the first place came to her mind. She smacked a palm to her forehead. “Just call Eda, with the bell! She’s a super powerful witch, she’ll be able to deal with the grate no problem.” 

Amity’s shadowed face grew red. “Oh.” Sheepishly, she twisted around in the cramped vent to grab the little brass bell. Softly, she rang it. 

At first, Luz worried it hadn’t worked. But soon enough, the Owl Lady’s staff emerged from the long morning shadows at the base of the castle, Eda herself perched nonchalantly atop it. 

“Sorry for the wait”, she said. “Those guards are being quite the pain today.” She turned her head, and seemed to just then notice Amity scrunched up in the ventilation shaft. Eda let out a snort. “How’d you find yourself in there, kid?”, she asked as she drew a spell circle, and the grate dissipated with a puff of smoke and a  _ pop.  _

“Long story”, Amity muttered. 

“But you got the Orb?” 

Amity nodded, pointing to the artifact. 

“Excellent job! Now get on.” 

It took a bit of shimmying and adjustment, but Amity managed to crawl out of the narrow hole in the castle’s side and onto the staff with the Orb. Eda gave a satisfied, almost impressed smile before shooting off. 

Luz grinned as she followed after them. Finally, she would be getting some answers. 

\---

As she sat on the back of Eda’s staff, Amity couldn’t shake the feeling that the Emperor had let them go. He could sense everything going on in his castle; he must have known she was in the vents. So why hadn’t he sent anyone to stop her? 

The question plagued Amity all through the flight back to the Owl House. Eda set them down lightly in the clearing. She hopped off the staff and held out her hands. “The Orb?” 

Amity handed it over without protest. It was still wrapped up in that quilt. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, curiosity crept in. “Would you mind if we watch it in action?”

Eda smiled. “Of course.” With a flourish, the older witch whipped the quilt off to reveal the Orb, still (thankfully) fully intact. Amity expected her to sit down and concentrate, but instead Eda took it in both hands and shook it. Along with a layer of dust, the delicate frost patterns spiraling up the Orb’s inside cleared somewhat. Little white particles flew up within. Amity watched, enraptured, as they cleared, settling on the globe’s bottom, to reveal the image of… Eda, King, and somehow Hooty sledding. And it dawned on Amity what this was. 

“You had me break into the emperor’s castle.... for a SNOW GLOBE?!” 

“This is more than just a snow globe, kid,” Eda said. “This is a window to the past! So many fond memories…” 

Amity spluttered indignantly. “You said it was an oracle!” 

Eda sighed fondly, caressing the snow globe’s dome. “An oracle to my past.” 

“I just risked all my carrer paths and my future for a stupid snow globe?!”

“A valuable snow globe,” Eda corrected. 

Amity let out an enraged yell. 

Eda took no heed of this. “Well, you made good on your end of the bargain. Time I made good on mine.” She beckoned Amity, who numbly followed Eda into her home. Eda gestured for her to sit, and she complied, sinking into the ratty couch. It occurred to her that despite this house’s state of disarray and chaos, it felt far more homey than most of Blight Manor ever had, with its stark precision (perfectly fitting a family of their standing, of course). But surely Blight Manor was better than this. Surely. 

Amity pushed away the conflicting thoughts as Eda cleared her throat. She looked up at the older witch. 

“I must admit, I’m impressed. Good job. Now, you wanted to know where I get my human relics.” 

“Yes!” Luz exclaimed. Amity startled, having almost forgotten she was there for how uncharacterosticallu silent she had been thus far. She noticed Eda giving her a strange look, so she hastily settled back down on the couch, and gave a nod. 

“Y- yes, that’s correct.” 

Then, with a flourish, Eda pulled out a small brown key. Luz floated closer, her hands hovering over it. Eda pushed the yellow eye on the key’s body, apparently a button. In front of Eda, what looked like a suitcase appeared, patterned in the same fashion as the key, complete with the yellow eye. Eda took a hold of it, and with another push of the key’s button the suitcase unfolded into a door. 

“This here is my secret. A portal to the human world.” 

Luz darted closer to the door, reaching a hand out towards it. Her fingers didn’t quite brush the surface. Her eyes were wide, and a myriad of emotions warred in her eyes. 

“Mamí,” she whispered suddenly. 

She spun to Amity, trembling. “Ask Eda to open the portal. Please.” 

Amity nodded to her wordlessly. “Miss… Eda? Could you maybe… open the portal?” 

Eda quirked an eyebrow.

“I just- I want to see,” Amity added hastily. 

Eda’s quizzical expression didn’t go away, but she complied. With another push of the button on the key, the door swung open. It revealed only light; whatever was beyond was obscured. 

Luz took one look back at Amity, eyes meeting. “Thank you”, she said, voice shaky. “I guess…” 

“Goodbye.” Amity said. A little bit of sadness crept into her voice, surprising her. She’d expected this moment, the moment she finally got the ghost out of her life and everything back to normal, to feel joyus, triumphant. But instead, it was bittersweet, conflicting. Yes, she was happy that she could finally put all this behind her, but it was accompanied by a heavy wave of loss. The ghost had disrupted her life; that was undebatable. But Luz had also brought something new, something… good?

Amity took one more look at Luz. 

“See you,” Luz said, and with a tiny wave, the ghost floated through the portal. 

\---

Luz was reeling. 

When she had seen that portal, that way back to her own world, she had  _ remembered.  _ Not much. But it was something. 

It had been memories of her Mamí. Just vague impressions, too vague. But Luz knew she missed her, with a sudden ache in her heart. Her kind, hardworking mother. They didn’t always see eye to eye (on  _ what,  _ Luz still frustratingly couldn’t remember), but Mamí had always cared about her, always just wanted the best for her. 

And that impression, above everything else, spurred Luz through the portal. 

When she floated out, she was somewhere she didn’t recognize. But then again, if she had in fact known this place from sometime before, she didn’t have the memories to recognize it anyway. It was some sort of cabin, dilapidated and surrounded by trees. Normal ones, not like the ever-so-slightly off trees of the Boiling Isles. 

She wouldn’t find any answers here; she had to go to where there were other people.  _ Human people.  _ Luz chuckled. There was a clear path through the trees, so Luz followed it, and soon enough she found herself amid houses. Real houses, with a road and everything. It was pretty deserted, though. No one was out on the street. A couple of stray leaves drifted next to the sidewalk on the road. But that wasn’t the weirdest thing. Just like on the Isles, it was early morning, and (Luz presumed) a Saturday. It made sense that everyone would still be in their homes. 

She saw some taller buildings in the distance, though.  _ People will definitely be out on the street there.  _ Luz set off on her way. 

Her hunch was thankfully correct. It wasn’t crowded, by any means, but a scattering of people made their ways down the sidewalks, bundled up against the presumable cold. Now that Luz was actually here, it struck her that she had very little of an idea what she was going to do. She couldn’t recall enough to actually recognize any of this. She tried talking to a couple of people, but to her dismay it seemed she was just as invisible here as on the Boiling Isles. 

She wanted to try to find her family, try to learn anything about her circumstances. (And her death? That was a part of being a ghost she didn’t like to think about, and had largely been able to ignore confronting up into this point). But she had no good way to do any of that. She let out a frustrated cry as she felt tears begin to collect in the corners of her eyes. 

There were no answers for her here, she realized. Luz spun back around and began making her way back towards the cabin with the portal, passing people who looked straight through her, not even blinking as her form sped past them. The ache in her heart grew more acute. 

In the other world, at least she had someone who could see her. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do next. But she knew this was her only way forward. 

\--- 

Amity sat numbly on Eda’s couch. The Owl Lady was  _ definitely  _ giving her strange looks now, but Amity couldn’t bring herself to care. Why wasn’t she feeling happiness, relief that Luz was gone? Why did she feel so… hollow? 

Eda made a move to close the portal, but Amity leapt up from her position on the couch. “No!” 

Eda looked startled, but backed down. After a moment, she spoke. “Is something wrong, kid? You seem a bit… scattered.” 

“I just wanted to look at it a bit longer”, Amity said thickly, a lump in her throat growing.

“You seemed like you were talking to someone earlier.”

Amity stiffened, drawing a sharp breath. “N-no I wasn’t.”

Eda moved closer, perching herself on the coffee table. “You clearly were.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is there something I don’t know about?” 

Amity’s resolve broke. Eda was clearly onto her. There was a part of her that just wanted to  _ tell  _ someone, too, and it urged her to just tell the truth. It had been exhausting to try to keep up the ruse of ignoring Luz, and now she was gone… Besides, of all the people she could tell, this wanted witch she’d probably never see again was far from the worst. Amity took a deep breath, then let out the whole story. How Luz had just shown up, how no one else could see her and how Amity had had to hide her notice of the ghost, how Luz had found Eda and then asked for Amity’s help to figure out where all the human objects came from. By the time she finished, it felt as if a great weight had been lifted off her chest. 

Eda shrugged. “Well, it’s certainly not the strangest thing I’ve seen in my day. I’d believe it, prep school.” 

That brought Amity even more relief. At least one person accepted her story, and didn’t think she was crazy. It crossed her mind that maybe telling some other people wouldn’t be the worst idea, but she immediately shot down the notion. This was just one witch, and she was quite eccentric by most standards. No, better to keep it hidden. 

Her attention turned back to the portal. 

\---

Luz made it back to the cabin with little trouble; the way wasn’t too hard to remember. The portal still stood open. Luz floated up to it, intending to go through, but as she tried to a jolt of pain gripped her body, and she fell back. “What-?”, she murmured. The pain faded, so Luz tried to head through the portal again. But again, pain shot through her and she had to pull away again. 

A third time she tried, and with the same result. Her confusion grew. It was fine when she wasn’t aiming to go through the portal, but whenever she got too close it  _ hurt,  _ so much she couldn’t make any progress forward. Why? 

Luz’s mind shot back to the night Amity had agreed to help her. Luz had agreed that she’d leave and stay out of Amity’s life for good, and then Amity had done some sort of spell. What had she called it? 

Luz’s body chilled as she remembered. An Everlasting Oath. 

This wasn’t good, to stay the least. She’d made some sort of magically binding contract with Amity, and now she had no way to back out. She physically  _ couldn’t  _ go back to the Isles, back to the one person who could see her. Or, she supposed two now, with Belos, but she certainly wasn’t going to that creep for help. 

Luz sighed, drifting over to float idly in the vicinity of a tree. She couldn’t really sit anymore, what with her body passing through everything she wanted to touch. Instead, when she wanted to rest she had to just kind of relax. From there, some kind of autopilot would take over, and she could just bob there. Still, she missed the feeling of anything. It was lonely, to be this seperate. 

Luz was now truly at a loss. Her plan A had been a bust, and now her plan B was completely shot down. This time, she really had no idea where to go. 

She was jerked out of her melancholy by a thump and an indignant yelp. Luz shot up, looking. That voice, it sounded familiar. But she shouldn’t hope… 

Her eyes widened as she saw Amity pushing herself up off the ground beside the portal door. “Amity!” Luz cried, darting over to where the witch dusted herself off. 

Amity gasped. “Oh. Luz, you’re still here!”

“I did go off for a bit.” 

“Oh.” Amity looked down, seeming unsure. Her eyes moved onto the forest. “This place is so weird.” 

Luz shrugged. “Humans can be like that.” 

The pair lapsed into an awkward silence, before Amity ventured the first question. “Have you found anything yet?” 

Luz’s gaze shifted down. “I- no. I haven’t. The… the answers aren’t just there like I hoped.” 

“Oh.” Amity bit her lip. “So where to next?” 

Luz turned away as she felt tears begin to prick at her eyes again. “I’m not sure.” 

Amity looked up to Luz, nervousness flickering in her gaze. “Maybe… you could come back to the Isles? Just for a bit,” she added hastily. 

Hope flashed in Luz, but it was quickly smothered. “I can’t.”

“Sure you can! I-”

Luz shook her head, cutting Amity off. “No, you don’t understand. I  _ can’t.  _ Something won’t let me.” 

Amity’s mouth dropped open as she realized. “Oh… the Everlasting Oath!” She let out a dry laugh. “Don’t worry about that; come over here.” Amity beckoned with a hand. Luz was a bit puzzled, but she obliged, floating down to be level with Amity. Amity drew a spell circle and stuck her hand through it. After a moment’s hesitation, Luz did as well, and they did that weird semblance of a handshake with Luz sticking her hand generally over Amity’s. 

“The oath is undone”, Amity said solemnly once the action was finished. Looking back up at Luz, she said, “You should be able to go back through the portal now. We… can work it out from there.” 

A smile crossed Luz’s face. “Thanks”, she said, bringing a hand up to wipe away some of her tears. 

“Well then, after you”, Amity said, gesturing a hand out towards the portal. 

Luz hesitated, wanting to avoid any pain, but steadied herself and flew forward. To her relief, there was no pain as she went closer to the portal. She stopped, and turned back to look at Amity.

“Together?”

A little smile came over Amity’s face, and she nodded, stepping forward. 

“Together.”

And at the same time, the two of them went through the portal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Next time we should be back to funtimes school antics. Or maybe not. I'm no master of pacing.


	6. Funtimes Schooltimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to home, and back to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait, I know it's been a while! It just took me a bit of time to figure out exactly the direction I wanted to go from where we left off, but now I have an idea of that so hopefully it won't be any more than two weeks before the next chapter. I was planning on posting chapter 3 of These Things Take Time today, but I think this deserves to be posted more considering how long a wait it's been. Also apologies for this one being on the shorter side. Anyhow, I have had the incredible Unluck of not one but two pet deaths within the month, that's hard and the reason I'm temporarily hiatus-ing my podfics. Happy reading!

They emerged back into the Owl House to find Eda still sitting on the coffee table, examining her fingernails. The witch looked up as they arrived. “Finally. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to stay there.” Eda pushed the button on the key, and the portal door shut with a strange kind of finality and folded back up into a suitcase. 

“So, is your ghost friend here too?”, Eda asked, looking to Amity. 

Luz’s mouth fell open. “You actually told her?” 

“Yeah”, Amity said. 

“Cool!”, Luz exclaimed, darting closer to Eda and waving. “I told you you had nothing to worry about.” 

“Don’t get used to it”, Amity warned. “I’m not telling anyone else.” 

Luz’s face fell. 

Eda cut into the conversation. “I take it she’s here, then?” 

Amity nodded. 

Eda rose up from the coffee table and put a hand on her hip. “Well then, it was nice meeting you kids, but I have some...  _ business  _ to attend to.” She ended the statement with a click of her tongue that made Amity wonder what that  _ business  _ was. She didn’t want to stay and get wrapped up in any more criminal activity. 

“I’ll just be going, then”, Amity said awkwardly. She moved to the door with a wave back to Eda. Luz took one last look at the older witch before following through the wall. 

Amity set off at a brisk pace. By now, the sun had crested the horizon, casting early morning rays across the surrounding trees. Amity’s anxieties surged anew as it once again hit her how long she’d been out.  _ Titan, if my parents find me gone… _

Luz clicked her tongue, and then spoke up. “Should I keep up staying around you? Are you okay with that, I mean?” 

“Probably. No one else can see you”, replied Amity. She slowed. “And… yeah. I’m okay with that.”

Luz smiled at this. Amity picked up her pace again. After what felt like too long, they were back at Blight Manor, the sun still rising steadily. Her parents were definitely up by now. They were early risers. 

Amity crept across the grounds, not wanting to encounter any staff. Luckily, she made it to the back door. She could have laughed at the irony of it; she had just spent the night breaking into the  _ Emperor’s Palace,  _ yet her heart pounded harder sneaking back into her own house than it ever had during the crime. She pressed her ear to the door, straining to hear any sounds of people beyond it. 

“Want me to look?”, Luz asked. 

Amity swiveled her head to look at Luz. “Oh. Yeah, go ahead.” That was a good idea which she should have thought of, but she wasn’t going to admit that to Luz. 

Luz was in and out quick. “All clear”, she assured. 

Amity gave a silent nod and eased the door open, willing it to be silent. It was. After all, it wouldn’t befit a family of the Blights’ standing to have anything less than perfect, be that a door or a daughter. 

Her only chance at escaping this without consequences was if her parents hadn’t yet taken the time to check in on her. Then again, that was fairly likely, considering they  _ were  _ her parents. Either way, she’d have to take her chances. Amity bit her lip, glancing around the kitchen the door had led to. She’d never done  _ anything  _ like this before. She didn’t sneak out, didn’t screw up, didn’t disobey the pantheon of rules set for her. And yet here she was. She looked over at Luz, who was waiting for her expectantly. This ghost really had turned her life on its head. 

Amity gave a short nod, gesturing forward. “Let’s go.” She kept her voice low. 

Luz turned and darted off down the hallway, Amity following behind in quick, hushed strides. The nice carpet, perfectly pristine, muffled her footfalls. Through the manor’s old corridors, mazelike but perfectly mapped in Amity’s mind. Past rooms, where Amity could hear activity even this early. The staff, no doubt. Ed and Em were probably still sleeping, and her parents didn’t take their business in this part of the manor. 

Once, Luz flying out ahead shouted “Stop!” Startled, Amity pressed up to the wall. A member of the staff walked by, a maid, thankfully absorbed in whatever the winged clipboard she read displayed. She passed, and Amity breathed out a tense sigh. 

“Thanks”, she told Luz. 

Luz gave her a smile. “That’s just what invisible ghost friends do.” Amity chuckled. 

Up the stairs, down the hall. Stiffly and as silently as possible past her parents room. Luz poked her head in. 

“They’re not there”, she said, turning back to Amity. Amity still didn’t want to take any chances. 

And then finally,  _ finally,  _ they were back to Amity’s room. Remarkably, miraculously, and against all odds, Amity had not been caught. 

Amity let out a dry laugh. “Wow”, she breathed. “We actually just did that.” The exhaustion suddenly hit her like a full-grown trash slug. She flopped down on her bed and leaned heavily against the headboard. “I think I’m going to try and get some sleep.”

Luz’s eyes widened. “Oh, you must be exhausted.”

“Yep”, Amity sighed. 

“I’ll just head out, then.” Luz pointed to the door with her thumbs before darting sideways to phase out of the room. Amity didn’t even bother to get under the covers as she let sleep take her. 

\---

Luz didn’t sleep anymore, something she’d quickly discovered that first night. Couldn’t if she wanted to, in fact. She’d always had a bit of trouble sleeping, but it was flat out impossible now. Even when she settled in the air, laying down and closing her eyes, her mind wouldn’t slip into unconsciousness. 

So, she had a lot of time on her hands. Another quirk of being a ghost. 

Luz was extremely curious about Amity’s real home life, but it felt intrusive to spy on Amity’s family, so she restrained her curiosity. Instead, she would spend the nights (or day, in this case) exploring the isles. There was a lot to see. Odd creatures, strange formations, those towering landmarks exactly like bones. 

Today, though, she had something a little greater on her mind. That Emperor Belos dude, he had  _ seen her.  _ It had been at the back of her mind before, what with more immediate things to think about, but now that she was staying here for the time being, she couldn’t help but think back to it. He had seen her, stared at her instead of through her. And even more than that, he had known who she was. How? 

No matter the reason that it had happened, Luz didn’t want to encounter Belos again. Stopping in the woods she flew through, Luz sunk to the ground. Well, more hovered just a centimeter above it. Looking to her surroundings, she was once again struck by just how strange this place was. How foreign. 

Luz shuddered. 

After a minute, she got back up and flew back towards Amity’s house. 

\---

Amity’s parents didn’t even notice. They shot her judging looks, probably taking note of her rumpled clothes, less-tidy-than-usual hair, and the dark circles sitting under her eyes, but only gave haughty sniffs and told her to “have some self respect; you’re a Blight, after all.” Luz was mildly tempted to throw some fire at them, but resisted the urge. The weekend passed in a blur, and soon enough it was Monday morning once again. 

“You’re really cool with this?”, Luz asked as Amity washed her face, pulling her hair up into that half-up style. 

Amity gave a nod. “Yeah.” A flare of happiness danced through Luz. The acceptance… it was nice. So few people back from her own life had understood her; the vague impressions of memories could tell her that much. She wasn’t sure Amity quite understood her, either, but Luz really thought they were getting there, at least to becoming friends. 

_ Like the Good Witch Azura and her former rival Hecate.  _ The thought came unbidden, and Luz wasn’t sure what it meant. She shrugged it off. 

The two were soon off to Hexside, making idle chatter all the way. Once, they came across another witch, pacing and muttering to herself in a clearing. It was Willow. But Amity just passed her by, skirting the clearing so Willow didn’t see. Luz was surprised; It was a change from her behavior before. Amity didn’t move to comfort Willow, sure, but there was no jeering, belittling, or bullying either. She still had progress to make, but it was a start. 

The two arrived at the front steps. Amity clutched the strap of her bookbag and let out a breath. “Here we go”, she muttered. 

“You can do it”, Luz encouraged. 

Amity chuckled. “Yep”, she said quietly. “Just a little bit of soul-crushing humiliation to live down.”

\---

It, in fact, was not easy to live down. Everybody gave her weird looks in the hallway, judging her. At least it was easier to focus in classes; now that she’d accepted Luz and wasn’t putting all that extra energy into pointedly ignoring the ghost. 

But everything really started going downhill during lunch. Amity walked up to sit with her friends. They’d begun pulling away from her in the days Luz had been here, and frankly, Amity couldn’t blame them. Rumors only grew, and it wouldn’t do well for the distinguished reputation she knew their families were to uphold. But Amity was still a Blight, and a skilled witch, so they hadn’t tried to drive her out of their circle, instead settling to simply pass veiled judgement and lay out thinly disguised jabs. 

Luz frowned as Amity sat down. “You’re still going back to them?” 

Amity made no response; she may have accepted Luz, but she still was doing her best to not let anyone else know she could see her. She was fairly certain that she wasn’t crazy, since the Emperor seemed to have been able to see Luz as well, but that didn’t mean Amity wanted to broadcast it openly. 

Instead, Amity turned to her peers. “Hey”, she greeted. 

Their stares were wary, questioning, as if Amity was something wild and unpredictable that they were assessing to see if it would lash out. “Hello”, Skara ventured.

Amity smirked. She hoped to get everything back to some semblance of normal, and that meant putting on all the proper airs. “Have you guys  _ seen  _ the new penstagram update?”

The stares grew a little less wary. “Totally”, Boscha said. And from there, everything fell into its familiar pattern. Small, meaningless talk, jabs and laughs at all the lesser witches. It was comforting, in a way. Amity had never quite enjoyed the routine, shallow as it was, but after everything there was a reassurance in it all; this was her future. 

Luz, however, was not making that easy. “Amity, why do you hang out with these people?”, she asked, arms crossed with a disapproving frown. Amity ignored her. 

“They’re so mean”, Luz continued. “Like seriously, what is your guys’s problem? Why do you feel the need to make fun of everybody?”

“I can do what I want”, Amity muttered. Luz huffed, but floated away, off to observe someone else most likely. 

“What was that?”, asked Boscha, turning to look at her. 

“Nothing”, Amity replied. 

Boscha’s three eyes narrowed. “You know”, she said. “We never did finish  _ encouraging  _ Willow last week.” Dismay rose up in Amity as Boscha’s suggestion was met with a round of nods and yeses from the rest of the group. 

“Shall we?”, Boscha asked. 

Amity scoffed. “She’s not worth our time. Leave her alone.” 

Boscha went tense. “What are you saying,  _ Amity?”  _ A hint of venom edged her voice. 

“Exactly what I said”, Amity said nonchalantly. Boscha’s hands balled up into fists, and the rest of the group looked rapidly between the two, as if they were unsure how to react to the standoff. 

After several moments, Boscha gritted her teeth and sat down with a small growl. Amity gave no reaction, only turning back to the group. “So, what were we talking about?” 

\---

Luz had kept a distance after Amity had sat back with her friends. Which was fine. Amity didn’t need her approval. 

There was a new tension stretched taut and unspoken between Amity and Boscha for the rest of the day. Amity didn’t acknowledge it, but she could see Boscha’s rage, cool and dense, building up in her. Boscha could get like this sometimes; she’d just have to wait it out. Boscha wouldn’t dare to cut off friendship with a Blight, after all. 

But this time, it was different. That afternoon, right after the last bell, Amity found her surrounded by their friends, who were all giggling conspiratorially, by a second floor window with a massive sack of reeking trash. 

“What are you doing?”, Amity asked, walking up with two fingers pinched over her nose. The rotten smell brought back unbidden memories of the trash chute in the Emperor’s castle. 

“Oh, Amity!”, Boscha exclaimed, voice sickly sweet. “You’ll want to see this.” 

Amity raised an eyebrow. 

“Come on, Amity!”, Skara beckoned. Skeptical, Amity made her way over to the group. 

Boscha lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Half-A-Witch Willow is right beneath this window. We’re going to dump this on her.” Boscha gestured grandly to the sack of garbage. 

Amity groaned. “Really, Boscha? Pranks are so childish.” 

“But we already have everything ready!”, Boscha said, grinning. “Just stay, watch. I promise it’ll be worth it.” 

And with no further ado, Boscha heaved the trash sack out through the open window, letting its contents spill out and rain down below. Seconds later, yelps could be heard from below. Amity pushed to the window, shocked, and leaned out, openmouthed, to see Willow and her friend covered in trash. But they weren’t the only ones there. 

“Luz?”, Amity said. Luz’s head shot around to look up. When her eyes set on Amity, they narrowed to slits. 

“YOU did this?”, she yelled, and in an instant she hovered right before Amity’s face an accusatory finger pointed straight at her. 

“I-”, Amity stammered. 

“I thought you were getting better!”, Luz exploded. “This is not cool. You and your friends were doing some bad stuff before, but dumping trash on people? Willow and Augustus are nice! They never did anything to you!”

“It wasn’t-”

“Amity? Who are you talking to?”, cut in Boscha’s critical voice. 

Amity whipped her head around. “No one”, she lied. 

Boscha didn’t look satisfied by this answer. “Come on, girls”, she said, eyes on Amity. “Let’s give Amity some… space.” She spun on her heel without any further comment, leaving the rest of the group to follow. A couple shot her apologetic looks, but they all left with Boscha. 

Amity put her head in her hands. “Oh, great”, she muttered. 

But Luz was not done. “You could have hurt someone! At the very least you humiliated them. That’s such a jerk move. Seriously, Amity, why would you do this?” 

“It wasn’t me”, Amity said, turning to face the ghost, who had drifted into the hallway. “I swear, I had nothing to do with this. It was just Boscha playing a stupid prank.” 

“Really fun prank”, Luz said sarcastically. 

“It’s not, I know that”, Amity said, trying to salvage any of this. “I tried to stop them.” 

“Trying isn’t enough, Amity”, Luz said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed, because I figure it'll be a long while before I write more of anything now that break is over and my free time is gone.


End file.
